I was working in a bar at 19 instead of playing at the Crucible..and Stan would have got ID'd

Kyren tells young sensation Moody to drink in every moment of debut

- BY CRAIG SWAN

Kyren Wilson reckons he'd be asking Stan Moody for ID if he was still working in a bar. “Probably similar to me. I came into it thinking: ‘Wow, this is what I turned professional for. I’ve dreamed of this moment’.

“I played Ricky Walden in my first appearance here [in 2014] and came out all guns blazing.

“I went 3-1 up. I think I had 130 break in that mini session and then the wheels fell off.

“I was like a rabbit in the headlights after that. But I loved it, knew I could handle the Crucible and come back stronger for years to come.

“I turned pro when I was 18, I think I fell off when I was 19. So I started in the bar, yeah.

“But I knew snooker was for me. Snooker was my life. It was all I was ever cut out to do. It’s like a drug to me.

“He [Moody] looks quite calm, composed. He’s had a lot to deal with being sort of the UK up-and-coming star.

“To qualify alone is a fantastic achievement. With that in mind I do agree it’s kind of a free hit.