Mark Selby admits he is drawing inspiration from Ronnie O’Sullivan as he looks to add a fifth world title to his glittering CV. The Jester from Leicester believes there is every chance he could follow in the footsteps of O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams by playing into his 50s.
The 42-year-old is a strong contender to get his hands on the famous trophy again on May 4, having won the UK Championship and Champion of Champions this season. But even if he doesn’t do it this year, Selby is set to give himself plenty more opportunities. Selby says: “I’d like to win it once more, if possible, to get to five. Me and John Higgins are tied on four. It would be nice to get one more and be out there on my own on five. When you start talking about seven or eight… I’m not getting any younger.
“But look at someone like Ronnie, who’s 50, and still playing amazing snooker. People like that inspire you because, as long as you stay fit and healthy and still have the hunger, there’s no reason why you cannot play top-level snooker at that age.
“Higgins and Williams are doing it as well, so there’s no reason why people like myself and other people around my age can’t do it. The biggest thing for me is enjoying it and, provided the competitive instinct is still there, I’ll carry on. Even if I slipped out of the top 16, I’d still carry on playing, provided I still enjoyed putting the work in.
“That’s key because you can’t just go to tournaments without practice and try to cheat your way to a tournament win. The standard’s too high now for that to happen.”
Selby’s enjoyment of the game has been tested in recent years as he battled mental health issues, including depression, which he has bravely spoken about publicly. Only recently has he taken some time out, missing the World Open in China before returning to action at the Tour Championship in Manchester.
“I’ve had a few weeks off because I hadn’t been feeling the best in myself,” he says. “I didn’t really want to be on the other side of the world and not be able to get home as quickly as possible. And if I’m not in a great frame of mind, I’m not able to give it 100 per cent.
“So I thought the best thing to do would be to stay at home and rest. I’m now feeling a bit better in myself. It’s been so hectic since January. There’s hardly been a gap in the tournaments since the Masters, so it was nice not to look at a snooker table for a week or two.”
Speaking out about his issues has helped Selby immensely. Others tackling similar issues will have also drawn solace from his candidness.
“I don’t know if I’ve helped anyone else but speaking out has definitely helped myself, for sure,” says Selby, who begins his Crucible challenge on Wednesday. “I feel as though, if I get asked questions about it now, I can speak about it.
“If it’s helped other people by speaking out, that’s amazing. That wasn’t my intention and I don’t want any plaudits. I just felt like I couldn’t hold it in anymore and that I needed help.”