Ronnie O’Sullivan is Britain’s most talented sportsman ever, reckons Anthony Hamilton

Ronnie O’Sullivan lifted his seventh World Championship title this 12 months (Image: Getty Photographs)

Ronnie O’Sullivan is probably the most gifted sportsman Britain has ever produced, reckons his outdated follow companion Anthony Hamilton, though he additionally says the Rocket talks ‘an absolute load of garbage’.

The Rocket and the Sheriff of Pottingham go manner again, based mostly on the identical membership in Ilford after they had been making their manner within the recreation.

Hamilton’s scoring-power in follow was well-known, nevertheless it the immense expertise of O’Sullivan from a really younger age was clear.

So good was a teenage Rocket that it's no shock to the Sheriff that he's nonetheless successful world titles at 46, securing his place as snooker’s best ever participant.

In actual fact, Hamilton not solely sees O’Sullivan as the best snooker participant ever, however probably the most gifted sportsman ever to emerge from Britain.

Requested whether or not he may think about Ronnie successful the World Championship 30 years on from these early days, Hamilton instructed: ‘Yeah I in all probability may, actually. I imagined he may win it when he was 15 and I imagined he may win it when he was 50.

’15 12 months outdated Ronnie and 50 12 months outdated Ronnie are the identical, mainly, simply the identical genius. He’s gone by a little bit of a diversified storyline of attending to the place he's, mentally, however he looks like that’s all below management now.

‘He’s simply the most effective sportsman Britain has had, talent-wise, in all probability ever. I can’t consider anybody who’s received extra expertise in no matter sport they do.’

The world quantity 50 not solely respects the immense expertise the world primary possesses, however the quantity of labor he has put in to get probably the most out of his expertise.

O’Sullivan has discovered the way to take care of the psychological strains of the sport, however not by chance, he has discovered a way of life and dealing that fits him and means he can sit atop the sport as he approaches 50.

‘He hasn’t truly received the most effective mentality, as a result of there’s quite a lot of hanging round all week and he doesn’t prefer it,’ mentioned Hamilton.

Anthony Hamilton is into his thirty first 12 months on the skilled tour (Image: Getty Photographs)

‘He’s discovered a technique to kill time, that’s the necessary factor. Quite a lot of gamers aren’t fitted to killing time and hanging round for every week, and in the event that they’re good gamers they’re going to be away quite a bit.

‘I believe that’s what he’s completed. Off-table he’s sorted out the way to kill time, he’s received his methods. He’s needed to graft as a result of he’s correct nuts isn’t he? He’s correct nuts. However he’s received his system now and it really works for him and good on him, he’s completed properly.

‘He’s the fittest man on tour now due to his methods. He’s in all probability one of many smartest snooker gamers, however nobody actually offers him a lot credit score for the way in which his mind works when he’s on the market, nevertheless it’s phenomenal, actually.

‘He doesn’t need to play snooker until he’s successful tournaments, so he’s discovered methods to do it.’

O’Sullivan ahs cemented his place as snooker’s most profitable ever participant (Image: Getty Photographs)

At instances within the historical past of the sport it will appear unthinkable for a 46-year-old to be world champion and world primary, however it appears that evidently O’Sullivan, together with John Higgins and Mark Williams within the Class of 92, are going to be round for a while to return.

‘Ronnie will in all probability outlast all of them as a result of he’s that manner inclined,’ believes Hamilton.

‘John and Mark may play, bodily in the event that they hold properly, so long as they need to, however whether or not they need to or not is one other factor.’

Hamilton is satisfied that O’Sullivan is as obsessive about snooker as he ever has been and dismisses the ideas the Rocket makes that he doesn’t follow a lot and is extra fascinated about his different pursuits in life.

‘Ronnie talks an terrible lot of garbage,’ mentioned Anthony. ‘He went to the Gibraltar Open, as a result of he needed to go for that BetVictor £150k bonus, he went to Gibraltar, received off the aircraft flying again, about 5pm and he went straight from Stanstead to the membership to place a number of hours follow in. It’s psychological!

‘This geezer’s not fascinated about snooker? Give us a break, it’s garbage. He practices as a lot as anybody. And he practices higher and tougher than anyone else, he desires it greater than anyone else.

‘No matter he says is an absolute load of garbage. I believe he simply says it to wind individuals up, and other people fall for it.’

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