Many grandfathers have a profound influence on their grandsons, often playing a pivotal role in nurturing their football talents. Wales’ very own Harry Wilson, born to Nicola Wilson, is a prime example. This story delves into the life of a boy whose grandad, Peter, placed an incredible bet on him. Indeed, it was a real football bet. When little Wilson was just 18 months old, Peter Edwards walked into William Hill and bet on his grandson’s future success. This remarkable act of faith and foresight set the stage for Harry Wilson’s journey to becoming a fine footballer.
So, what was the bet about? Peter Edwards placed a £50 bet with William Hill that his 18-month-old grandson would become an international footballer. Fast forward to June 2015, Harry Wilson joined the senior Welsh squad and made his debut for Wales in October 2013. This remarkable achievement meant that Peter Edwards won his bet, earning him the reputation of being a prophet among those who heard his story.
In a nutshell, this memoir reveals the life story of Harry Wilson, a Welsh football superstar known for his exceptional free-kick skills, akin to a golfer’s precision. As a modern-day dead-ball specialist, Wilson honed his craft under the influence of the legendary Juninho. This biography goes beyond his impressive free-kick goals to delve into his childhood, early life, and family background. Discover the details about his parents—Nicola Wilson and Mr. Wilson—his sister Annie Wilson, and his girlfriend and future wife Abby Claybrook. Explore Harry Wilson’s origins and the story behind his rise to football stardom.
We’ll also uncover details about Harry Wilson’s family origin, ethnicity, personal life, lifestyle, religion, and net worth. Additionally, we’ll dive into the fascinating story of Harry’s famous grandfather, who made headlines with one of the most remarkable bets in sports history.
Bewitched by His Granddad: The Hidden Story of Harry Wilson’s Football Journey
Preamble:
Our take on Harry Wilson’s biography starts by exploring the key moments of his childhood and early years. Next, we’ll delve into the ups and downs of his time at Liverpool, followed by how he overcame challenges, proved his critics wrong, and reclaimed his status as a superstar.
To captivate your interest, we aim to make Harry Wilson’s story engaging. We’ll kick things off with a gallery showcasing the Welsh footballer’s early life and rise to fame. This collection vividly illustrates the remarkable journey of how Wilson has evolved into the player he is today.
Harry Wilson Biography – Behold his Childhood years, Early Life in Football and Great Rise.
Yes, you and I know he has developed a reputation for scoring impressive free-kicks and long-range strikes.
Despite his relatively small stature, the Welsh winger makes up for his natural deficits through his shooting technique, accuracy, and clever use of his body.
Despite the many great things this Welsh winger has done for football, we notice a gap in his story.
The truth is, not many soccer fans have read an in-depth version of Harry Wilson’s Biography. We’ve taken a step further to prepare it, so without further ado, let’s begin.
Harry Wilson’s Childhood Story:
For Biography starters, the Footballer bears the nickname – Scouse Torres. Harry Wilson was born on the 22nd day of March 1997 to his Mother, Nicola Wilson, and a relatively unknown Father. His birthplace is Wrexham, a large market town in Wales.
The Welsh footballer is not the only child of his parents. Harry is one among two children (himself and a sister) born to his Dad and Mum.
Here is a rare photo of Harry Wilson’s Mum, who receives a hug from his son and stands next to a man who could be Wilson’s Dad.
Nothing can be more comforting for Harry than a mother’s hug, especially after having a good match.
Growing-Up:
Harry spent his childhood years alongside his sister, Annie Wilson, who is younger than him. Both siblings look cute together and perfectly resemble each other.
During their childhood, Harry and Annie never allowed themselves to wander in the dark alone.
Meet Harry Wilson’s Sister. Her name is Annie Wilson, and she is younger than him and very beautiful.
Harry Wilson’s Early Life with Soccer:
Football became a natural constant in Harry Wilson’s boyhood years. This feat started when he was less than a year old.
The Welsh winger grew up with a ball at his feet. And many who knew him back then would say – football was a natural extension of his body.
Truth be told, we enjoy Harry today simply because of the works of his grandfather. A man who ensured his grandson’s determination to become a professional wasn’t a passing fantasy. Some call Mr Peter Edwards a wise man thanks to his Bet. We call him a Prophet.
Harry Wilson Family Background:
Starting off, he is the grandson of Peter Edwards, an electrical contractor. Aside from his Grandpa, Harry Wilson’s parents also have middle-class jobs.
We talk about jobs whose income could afford them home in Wrexham, Wales and make them live a way good life.
Way before he was born, Harry Wilson’s family had been football lovers. This is evident in his Granddad, a man who once placed a €50 ($67) bet on his grandson.
According to the bet, Harry Wilson was to play for the Wales national football team one day at 2,500-1 odds.
Peter Edwards saw a star in his Grandson when he was 18 months old. The Super Granddad placed a bet that Wilson would play for the Wales national team. Guess What!! … HE WON!!
Peter Edwards placed the bet at the William Hill betting shop in the year 2000 when little Harry was just 18 months old.
The Prophetic Granddad saw his grandson’s future as a kid. As his optimism would have it, Harry Wilson in October 2013 made his Wales senior debut.
Did you know?… Harry Wilson’s grandfather nets £125,000 over his grandson’s Wales debut bet. Winning that huge money made Peter Edwards retire early from his electrical job. He began spending more quality time with his wife, Dorothy.
Wilson’s Granddad once spoke about his wife’s (Dorothy) reaction after winning the bet and what he told his Boss before winning it. In the words of Peter Edwards…
My wife Dorothy was over the moon. I retired immediately from my work after winning the bet.
I told my Boss before the day I won that if Harry plays, I woun’t be coming back to work.
Harry Wilson Welsh Family Origin:
As observed from the map below, Wrexham, Wales, is where the football winger comes from.
Harry Wilson’s family hometown is a large market town in the North-Eastern part of the country. Wrexham is 34 minutes away from Corwen, where Harry’s grandfather comes from.
This map portrays the Family Origin of Harry Wilson.
Harry Wilson’s Ethnicity:
The Wrexham native joins around 94.8% of the population of Wales people who described their ethnic group as White.
Alternatively, Harry Wilson’s ethnicity is classified under the category of “Welsh people”. The Winger has Welsh ancestry through his forefathers.
Harry Wilson Education:
Ysgol Dinas Bran is a co-educational secondary school in the town of Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales. This was where Harry Wilson received his Education.
Have you heard about the school – Ysgol Dinas Bran? Harry Wilson attended this Secondary school in Llangollen, Wales.
While receiving his education there, Harry Wilson struggled to get good grades. Just like Gleison Bremer and unlike Davy Klaassen, Maths was his worst subject.
One of Harry Wilson’s worst school moments was when he struggled to pass his GCSE. His worst subject ‘Mathematics’ was largely responsible. According to our research, the Welsh footballer managed to get a ‘C’ in GCSE (maths) on his third attempt at taking the exams.
Career Buildup:
Just like many youngsters in the UK, Wilson began academy football at the age of eight. He began life as a footballer with his hometown club Wrexham, in the year 2005.
Less than a year after joining the club, a young Harry began receiving attention from top UK clubs.
Many fans think Liverpool was the first club that gained the interest of the youngster. The truth is, it wasn’t Liverpool but Man United.
Harry Wilson opted for Liverpool despite the Red Devils’ interest in their son. 2005 was the year the Welsh winger signed for the Reds.
Harry Wilson Biography – Liverpool Football Story:
The Wrexham-born star was a workaholic child during his early days with the club. In fact, Harry was the kind of kid who always refused to leave the field after training. Severally, Michael Beale, the then Liverpool youth Manager, would always drag him off the pitch.
Beale was very close to Wilson, and he knew him better than most kids in his age group.
Technically, it was more than evident that Harry Wilson (as a young footballer) had plenty of potential. The youngster made lots of sacrifices in his quest for football success.
Early on, Harry Wilson’s parents would travel a considerable distance from their small hometown of Corwen in North Wales to drop their son off at Liverpool’s academy.
It was a 1 hour 20 minutes drive from Wales, and Harry never made his family’s sacrifice be in vain.
Road to Fame Story:
At the age of 16, the youngster achieved a milestone on the journey to becoming a professional footballer.
Although there were question marks about his stature and physique, Harry Wilson made up for this lack by becoming the academy’s best dead-ball specialist.
A superb Free-kick ability made the Welsh winger win the award for Liverpool’s Academy Players’ Player of the Year.
Wilson progressed with flying colours to the youth team and the reserve side under Beale’s command. He was a very clever player, someone everyone knew would break into the scene.
By the time he left Liverpool’s academy, he had established an exceptional highlight reel thanks to his free-kick abilities.
Did you know?… Harry was captain of Liverpool’s reserve team when Trent Alexander-Arnold (another free-kick Demon) broke through to his team.
The Senior Team Agony:
Wilson signed his first Liverpool contract In July 2014, a time Steven Gerrard had agreed to end his playing career with the club.
At that time, there were huge talks around him being the ideal successor of Liverpool’s greatest-ever captain. Sadly, things didn’t go as planned.
He was the chosen one… the player to sit in Gerrard’s shoes. Sadly, it became a huge disappointment.
When it comes to the mechanics of taking free-kicks, Harry Wilson had no issues. However, it was observed that he needed time to mature physically.
Then, Liverpool had Wingers like Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling, and Philippe Coutinho, who were more physically mature.
In order to make him develop more physically, the Ex-Reds coach (Brendan Rodgers) sent him on loan to League One side Crewe Alexandra.
Wilson, with a point to prove, accepted the loan in good faith, vowed not to give up, and began fighting to prove his worth.
Harry Wilson Biography – Rise to Fame Story:
Jurgen Klopp’s arrival at Liverpool did not favour the Winger’s return from loan. Rather, the German Boss approved Wilson’s second loan move to Hull City.
Did you know?… this club, at that time, sold Andrew Robertson to Liverpool and Harry Maguire to Leicester City.
The loan to Hull City (who played in the Championship at that time) favoured Wilson.
Maybe you didn’t know that Winger played for a team that had the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Fikayo Tomori (on loan from Chelsea). Wilson scored seven goals during his time with Hull.
The beginning of his comeback started with Hull City.
At Hull, he went from strength to strength under the command of Leonid Slutski. Wilson’s market value increased, and his physicality issues began erasing.
Here are some of the Goals that made him one of the hottest stars in the 17/18 English Championship season.
Obeying the Lampard Call:
When Jurgen Klopp bought Mohamed Salah, it became clear that Wilson wouldn’t get his right-wing position if he chose to return from his Liverpool loan.
Because of that, he accepted a loan call from Chelsea football Legend (Frank), who managed Derby in the 18/19 season.
The Welsh star accepted a call from Frank Lampard, the Chelsea FC Legend.
Did you know?… Harry Wilson played alongside Mason Mount and Ashley Cole while at Derby. The Welsh winger became the club’s highest goal scorer.
In fact, Harry Wilson’s 15 goals for Derby helped Frank Lampard’s side get to a Premier League playoff place.
Although they fought a good fight, Derby, in that 2018/2019 season, failed to get into the Premier League.
Aston Villa defeated the Rams in the playoff finals. This Villa team had Big Names like Tuanzebe, Tyrone Mings (CB), John McGinn (CM), Jack Grealish (LW), Tammy Abraham, etc.
Further Loan Moves:
Following Lampard’s departure to Chelsea, Harry made a decision on his career. He moved to AFC Bournemouth via a loan deal.
With The Cherries, Wison formed a partnership with Jermain Defoe, Callum Wilson (CF), Arnaut Danjuma (LW), Nathan Ake (LB) and Aaron Ramsdale.
He came, saw and conquered football with The Cherries.
Harry just loved going on loans. After scoring seven goals for AFC Bournemouth, the Welsh star accepted another loan move to Cardiff City.
While at the Welsh club, he had 12 assists (which was the highest in the team) and also scored seven goals.
Fulham Permanent Transfer and Rise:
On 24 July 2021, Wilson joined Fulham, a club where he found more solace from his loan spells.
The Winger fell in love with The Cottagers and ended his loan journey by signing a four-year contract with them. He joined a team that had the likes of Nathaniel Chalobah.
As of April 2022, a formidable partnership with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Harry Wilson, and Fabio Carvalho has led to the scoring of 60 goals.
Wilson, while with Fulham, has made the right flank his own property, where he thrives with so much attacking freedom.
Also to note, Wilson, alongside big names like Kieffer Moore, Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Neco Williams (RB), Brennan Johnson (RW), etc, have all made the post-Giggs Welsh national team see bigger success in recent times.
Harry Wilson is now mature (in all aspects), and his gameplay has offered more than just highlight reels. Harry’s goals and assists have underpinned the trajectory of his great career.
More importantly, it has prepared him and his Fulham teammates (like Antonee Robinson (LB), João Palhinha (DM), etc.) ready for the Premier League challenge.
The rest of Harry Wilson’s Biography, as we say, is now history. Having told you his career story, we’ll use the next section to unveil Facts about his Love Life. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Harry Wilson’s Love Life with Abby Claybrook:
As the saying goes, behind every successful Welsh Baller comes a glamorous WAG. For Wilson, Abby Claybrook exists, a lady with enamoured beauty.
Abby and Harry are a perfect fit, lovers who create the best memories with every time spent together.
Meet Harry Wilson’s Wife-to-be. Her name is Abby Claybrook.
Who is Abby Claybrook?
The world knows her as Harry Wilson’s girlfriend and his wife. Claybrook celebrates her birthday every 12th day of March.
For completing 23 years in the year 2021, it means Abby was born in the year 1998. Also, Harry is one year older than his girlfriend, Abby.
This is Abby Claybrook, at the time of celebrating her 23rd birthday.
One of Abby Claybrook’s hobbies is taking holidays at West Crescent Palm in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
Also, Harry Wilson’s girlfriend is a big fan of seaside watercraft adventures, which makes her feel like she is in a different world.
Never a dull moment with Abby Claybrook and her Seaside watercraft adventures.
Abby Claybrook Harry Wilson Dating – When did it begin?
According to our findings, the first rumour about their relationship began on the 21st day of June 2014. With reference to the above date, further finding reveals that Harry Wilson began dating Abby Claybrook at the time he became a professional footballer.
As of June 2014, Abby Claybrook had graduated from Secondary school. She made this gorgeous dress and lovely hair to celebrate her Prom.
At this time, Abby Claybrook’s parents were comfortable with her opening her social media accounts.
This is Abby Claybrook’s prom dress.
From Prom to Dating:
Abby Claybrook and Harry Wilson in their first international holiday.
Just after Abby Claybrook’s prom, it became known by fans that she was Harry Wilson’s girlfriend. In fact, both lovers had their first public appearance on June 21, 2014, during a post-prom holiday to Dubai.
Furthering her Education:
Completing her studies (up to the university level) has always been Abby Claybrook’s parent’s wish for her.
Harry Wilson’s girlfriend celebrated her University graduation on the 12th day of July 2019. Based on our findings, she graduated from a University in Liverpool’s City Centre.
This is Abby Claybrook celebrating her University graduation.
Personal Life:
Away from everything football, who is Harry Wilson?
Starting off, the Welsh footballer has an inner world which displays humility by default. Harry is naturally quiet, and also a deep thinker who thinks more and speaks less. A look at his Instagram shows he is quite a homebody who loves to play video games.
Harry Wilson’s Personality Away from Football.
Asides from spending time with his PlayStation, Harry also approves quality time with his Dogs who look very adorable. The Welsh Free kick specialist joins British footballers – the likes of Ben White (RB), Aaron Ramsdale (GK), Nat Philips (CB), Oliver Skipp (DM) etc, who are big dog lovers.
The Winger belongs to a category of people called dogophiles.
LifeStyle:
The Wrexham-born star is the type who never uses his social media platform, like Instagram, FaceBook, TikTok, etc, to showcase his wealth.
Also, Harry does not make self-satisfaction talking about his club and national team achievements. Also, the Baller sure knows how to take very good care of himself.
He exhibits the Habits of a Humble person.
Speak of the way he lives his life, Harry Wilson is someone who adores having a mental vacation.
The Welsh footballer sometimes loves to be alone and away from everything in other to reset his mind. He loves the seaside where he explores the beauty of nature.
The Welsh star sometimes loves to be alone and away from everything in other to restore his strength.
Does Harry Wilson have a Car?
Definitely yes, even though he is yet the reveal it to his fans. And from what we’ve gathered, Harry Wilson’s girlfriend, (Abby Claybrook) owns a car.
Without a doubt, Wilson’s £45,000 per week Fulham wage is more than enough to buy this sort of luxury car.
Pretty Abby Claybrook, in the comfort of her car.
Harry Wilson Family Life:
Without the support of his parents and his GrandDad (Peter Edwards), the foundation of his career wouldn’t be palatable as it has become. This section of Harry Wilson’s Bio tells you more Facts about his family members. Now, without further ado, let’s begin.
About Harry Wilson’s Father:
Great Welsh Dads have made successful sons, and he is definitely one of them.
While Peter Edwards (his Granddad) is the most popular in the family, news about Wilson’s Dad is rare in the public domain. Like most members of the family, he prefers to be on the low-key.
About Harry Wilson’s Mother:
Nicola Wilson is the daughter of Peter Edwards, the famous Granddad who predicted her son’s future.
Just like the rest of the family, Harry Wilson’s Mum is proud to see him come out of his loan spell – and now enjoying Premier league football with Fulham.
About Harry Wilson’s Sister:
Annie was 12 years old when her celebrity brother (age 16) debuted for the Wales national team.
By implication, it means Harry is four years younger than his sister Annie. Pictured here is Annie together with her Grandpa just after he won the £125,000 bet.
Annie Wilson appears to be very attached to her Granddad.
About Harry Wilson’s Relatives:
Peter Edwards, the Grandfather of the Welsh footballer, is the most popular among his extended family members.
The retired Electrical Contractor and his wife (Dorothy Edwards) now live a comfortable life in North Wales after he won that famous £125,000 bet.
Untold Facts:
As we conclude Harry Wilson’s Biography, we’ll use this section to unveil more facts about him. Now, without further ado, let’s begin.
Harry Wilson Free kick secret:
The Welsh footballer was first inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo’s free-kick against Portsmouth in 2008. Later on, he began studying Juninho and Messi‘s curling techniques. Wilson has also read the autobiography of Andrea Pirlo in his quest to improve his Free kick taking.
The Welsh footballer got fascinated with the fact that Andrea Pirlo learned his free kicks by collecting the DVDs of Juninho, the Brazilian Legend.
More importantly, the Italian football legend perfected his learning while sitting on the toilet during one of his eureka moments.
For Wilson, his magic Free-kick formula lies in how the ball is being struck. The big secret lies in the technique and connection with the ball.
More importantly, the movement of the three toes (and not the whole foot), which should come into contact with the leather.
Just like Kieran Trippier and James Ward Prowse, Wilson is a bit like a golfer who doesn’t have to hit a ball so hard to get it where he wants.
These three footballers (as mentioned above) have an enviable reputation as one of Britain’s best dead-ball specialists. Now, beware of Harry Wilson’s Premier League stats in years to come.
Comparing Harry Wilson’s Fulham Salary to the Average Welsh Citizen:
According to Plumplot, the average salary in Wales is around £31,900 per year. Did you know?… A person who makes this salary would need 73 years to earn £2,343,600.
What is Harry Wilson’s Net Worth:
The figure ranges between 5 to 6 million pounds. Harry Wilson’s income comes from his salary as a footballer as well as his contract bonuses and endorsement deals.
As of 2022, Harry Wilson’s agent works with CAA Base Ltd. This Sports management company also manages many England players.
For example, the likes of Eberechi Eze (AM), Trevoh Chalobah (CB), Kyle Walker-Peters (RB), Kieran Trippier (RB), etc.
Harry Wilson’s FIFA Profile:
At 24 years old, he only lacked five things in his role. They are – aggression, interceptions, jumping, strength and heading accuracy.
Yes, Wilson’s excellent movement stats remind us of David Silva and Juan Mata – during their prime years with Man City and Chelsea.
His greatest strength is his Curve (86). This is followed by his Free kick accuracy (85).
Harry Wilson’s Religion:
Although he hasn’t shown signs of his faith in public, our odds are in favour of him being a Christian. Peter (a Christian name) is the name of Harry Wilson’s grandfather.
Therefore, it is more likely Harry Wilson’s family is among 57.6% of Welsh people who are Christians.
Summary EndNote:
The Welsh superstar, with the nickname – Scouse Torres, was born to his Mother, Nicola Wilson, on the 22nd day of March 1997.
Harry Wilson spent his childhood years alongside his younger sister, who goes by the name, Annie Wilson.
While he was 18 months old, Wilson’s maternal grandfather (Peter Edwards) predicted his son’s future.
He placed a €50 ($67) bet at 2,500-1 odds that Harry would play for the Welsh national team. Shockingly, that happened in 2013 and he won the sum of £125,000.
Research on his family origin reveals the footballer is from Wrexham, a large market town in the North-Eastern part of Wales.
About Harry Wilson’s education, he attended Ysgol Dinas Bran. This is a secondary school in Llangollen, Wales.
While at school, Harry struggled with having good grades. With mathematics being his worst subject, the Welsh footballer managed to get a ‘C’ in GCSE (maths) after his third attempt of trying the unforgettable exams.
Wilson began playing football at the age of eight with his hometown club Wrexham.
Less than a year after joining the club, a young Harry began receiving attention from top UK clubs. In the year 2005, Harry joined Liverpool’s academy after rejecting Man United.
Following a smooth sail from academy football, the youngster in July 2014 signed his first professional contract with Liverpool.
Wilson failed to live up to Liverpool’s expectations. As a result, he was sent on loan. After six loan spells, he came back stronger than ever.
Appreciation Note:
As always, we say thank you for taking out your quality time to read Harry Wilson’s Bio.
We strive for fairness and accuracy in our daily quest to deliver you Welsh Football Stories. And the childhood biography facts of United Kingdom footballers.
Kindly let us know (via comments) if you notice anything that doesn’t look right in Harry’s memoir.
On a final note, we will like to hear your feedback about the Welsh footballer. Please tell us what you think about Harry Wilson and his amazing Biography Story.
