Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has revealed that he once lost £288,400 pounds ($445,853) in a single bet on a cricket match between South Africa and Australia.
Hamann became a big gambler in an attempt to block out the stress of problems in his personal life and the German international hit rock bottom when he squandered the vast sum in a spread bet on Australia's score in a Test against the South Africans.
"I was spread betting because it requires more thought, and the more my brain was engaged the less I thought about the devastation I was feeling inside," Hamann said, writing in his autobiography 'The Didi Man', which is being serialised in the Daily Mirror.
"That night I bought Australia for 2,800 pounds at 340 runs. That meant for every run over 340 you win 2,800 pounds, but for every run under you lose the same amount.
"Australia collapsed for 237. It is a score I remember well. It cost me 288,400 pounds.
"Every wicket felt like a stab in the heart. By the end of the night I felt like I'd been scalped.
"The next day, when I looked at the mess that was me in the mirror, I said 'Didi, things have got to change.'"
Hamann now works as a betting advisor for a sports website after a brief spell in charge of English minnows Stockport County.
The 38-year-old retired from playing in 2011 following an illustrious career that included spells with Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle and Bayern Munich.
His memorable substitute performance helped Liverpool recover from three goals down to beat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final and he also won two League Cups, two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup during his time at Anfield.
Hamann also won two German league titles and the UEFA Cup with Bayern, while he played in the German team beaten by Brazil in the 2002 World Cup final.
Source: AFP
