Mr Hayward's £25,000 dream came true on Saturday

After the dream in July, Adrian Hayward placed a £200 bet, at odds of 125-1, that Alonso would score from behind the halfway line at some point this season.

His dream came true on Saturday when the Spaniard scored against Luton Town in the FA Cup 3rd round.

"I've never placed such a large bet before but I had a feeling about it," said Mr Hayward, of Newbury, Berkshire.

When he placed the bet we thought it was the easiest £200 we had ever made

Bookmaker Paddy Power

"It seemed to take an age to hit the net but when it did, I just went berserk."

The 42-year-old father-of-two said he might spend some of the winnings on a family holiday.

Bookmaker Paddy Power said: "When he placed the bet we thought it was the easiest £200 we had ever made.

"But fair play to him. It's great when these unusual bets pay out and it shows that dreams do come true."