Ronnie O'Sullivan could coach four snooker rivals after laying out strict demands

 

Ronnie O'Sullivan has opened the door to coaching at the World Snooker Championship.

Ronnie O’Sullivan recently admitted he nearly pulled out of the World Snooker Championship to coach and mentor a player at the Crucible. His participation in Sheffield is still to be decided, but the Rocket clearly has one eye on his plans after retirement.

"I’d like to get a young player and help him develop," O'Sullivan told TNT Sports. "But I’d also like to work with a top player that wants to win the World Championship and who I think is capable of winning the World Championship, and try and add something to their game.

"I’d like to obviously nurture because I think that would be good, but then I’d like to get someone that’s pretty much already there, but do what Ray Reardon did for me, which is just add that little bit extra; it became a massive difference to my game.”

Here, We has taken a look at the players who may fit O’Sullivan’s strict criteria…

Luca Brecel

The 2023 world champion was the only player namedropped by O’Sullivan when the Rocket opened up on coaching in the future. He would likely be one of the first players contacted if a move into coaching is in the offing.

"I think with Luca, it’s very difficult for him to just focus on living the life of a snooker player,” he explained. "And I totally get it, he lives in Belgium and it’s a tough ask to keep leaving, going home, leaving.

"I’d just say to him, ‘Look, give me four or five months of the year where you totally devote yourself to snooker. You do your three or four hours practice every day, you do your gym, you do whatever, you do your tournaments. But just give me that.'”

Ronnie O'Sullivan named Luca Brecel as a coaching target. (Image: Getty)

Jack Lisowski

Jack Lisowski has widely been described as the most talented snooker player never to win a ranking title. Comparisons to O’Sullivan have been regular but the fellow Essex potter is yet to put it all together to win a title.

And the Rocket has already given Lisowski some advice. After beating Mark Selby in the first round of the UK Championship last year, Lisowski revealed: "I have had him [O’Sullivan] in my ear a bit, he gave me a few little pointers. I just figured listen to him. It’s nothing major but I have a few things to concentrate on and it’s working."

Stan Moody

Stan Moody put himself on the map after winning a match at the Snooker Shoot Out as a 15-year-old. Three years later, the Halifax talent sits at world No. 67 and reached the last 16 at both the British Open and Northern Ireland Open last year.

The former WSF Junior Champion has immense talent and already has two full seasons under his belt on the World Snooker Tour. He may fit the profile of someone who would benefit from O’Sullivan’s tutelage.

Stan Moody at the 2025 World Open.

Michal Szubarczyk

Michal Szubarczyk was recently denied a place in snooker history, having been narrowly defeated in the first round of World Championship qualifying. The 14-year-old, who has already bagged a tour card for the 2025/26 season, lost 10-8 to Scotland's Dean Young in Sheffield.

The Polish starlet was hoping to break O’Sullivan’s long-standing record by becoming the youngest player to qualify for the Crucible.

He will have a chance to break the record set by a 16-year-old Rocket next year, however, and how poignant it would be if O’Sullivan was in his corner helping him do so.