“Snooker used to be a hobby for me, but I found it difficult, the pressures and I suppose it’s different because I’ve got to play top-quality opposition. If Ed Sheeran had to have a sing-off with somebody as good as him every night, maybe it wouldn’t be a hobby.

“Going to play Mark (Williams), (Mark) Selby, (John) Higgins, (Judd) Trump, and you’re not at your best, it’s not an appetising thought in a way.

“But if I was at an exhibition in Wales and I wasn’t feeling great, playing players who can make 70-80 breaks you think: ‘tonight’s going to be a good night, I might lose the odd frame because they can all play’, but it’s a different type of pressure. It’s hard as you get older, it’s hard for anybody to be at the top of any sport.”