Rookie Walker chasing home-town glory to realise his Crucible dream

Eighteen-year-old Joel Walker is enjoying his first season on the sport’s main Tour after graduating with flying colours from the gruelling Q School qualifiers.

The Sheffield-born teenager has long been touted as a future champion – he won a national talent search and was mentored by Ronnie O’Sullivan – but now he has big ambitions. Starting in his home town.

While Bradford’s Joe Johnson and Shaun Murphy, who lived in neighbouring Rotherham at the time of his 2005 success, have been crowned world champions at the Crucible there is yet to be a Sheffield player who has lifted snooker’s most prestigious trophy.

To reach the Crucible’s televised stages, Walker would have to slog his way through four rounds of qualifiers. But asked if it was his dream to qualify and play at the Crucible, he replied: “No, to win it.

“That’s my aim. I have never played at the Crucible yet. I would like to qualify, obviously, but my real aim is to win it, for definite.

“I think I am good enough.”

Confidence indeed, but with the startling success of Judd Trump, already a former UK champion and world No 1, despite being just 23, Walker is keen to embrace an exciting new era in the sport.

While veterans like Stephen Hendry are hanging up their cues, citing the increased travelling and boom in events in far-flung places like Australia and China, it means opportunities for young talent like Walker are at an all-time high.

“Judd went on the Tour when he was about 16 and it took him a couple of years to find his feet,” said Walker. “Then he started to do well over the last couple of years. Judd is five years older than me, but I think I have got on the Tour at just the right time. There’s a lot of tournaments and opportunities. It’s an exciting time.

“The Player Tour Championships (PTCs) give you the chance to test yourself against the top players without having to qualify for events. Getting to watch them up close, learning from them, is priceless.

“I have won national events at every age group, but so far probably my biggest achievement has been qualifying for the main Tour,” added Walker, a former All Saints Catholic High School pupil, the same school as Wimbledon doubles winner Jonathan Marray.

“I started playing snooker when I was six,” he said. “I got a six-foot table and then went to a local snooker club a few months after.

“It’s all really progressed from there really. Playing snooker is something that I have always wanted to do ever since I can remember.

“I qualified for the main Tour through Q School. There were three events in May and if you got to the semi-finals, you got on the main tour.

“The competition was quite tough. I had to beat two people who had just dropped off the main our. I was the second youngest to come through Q School and one of the youngest on the main Tour. There is only one or two younger than me and that’s it.”

Walker first came to national prominence in 2010 when he was chosen by O’Sullivan as one of the sport’s rising stars.

He earned high praise from O’Sullivan, who tipped the young Sheffield cueman to follow in his steps as a future Crucible champion.

O’Sullivan said: “Joel just seemed to have the maturity, the technique and the right sort of attitude. He’s got all the right qualities to be a top player, it’s just all about enjoying it and spending hours and hours on the table. One day he could be a world champion.”

That accolade saw him pocket £5,000 in sponsorship from Rileys, but life on the Tour is not cheap, with travel and accommodation costs bumping up a player’s expenses.

“I just got to practise with Ronnie, which was great, plus £5,000 sponsorship off Rileys, that’s all run out now,” he added. “It was a good experience learning from a player like Ronnie.

“This year I have been to Bulgaria twice, Germany, Belgium, Scotland for PTCs and ranking events.”

Walker has had to turn down three invitations to play in China this season as he was unable to fund the £1,000 flights.

Now he hopes to attract Yorkshire sponsors who would like to support local talent, with the chance to gain maximum exposure at high-profile televised events like the Crucible.

“All the expenses I have to fund out of my own pocket at the minute. There were three extra events in China, but I couldn’t afford to go and compete. Flights were, like, £1,000 each.

“That’s impossible to fund as a young player. If I qualify for events, the Crucible especially, it is good for the potential sponsors, too.”

Qualifiers for the World Championship start in March and Walker faces a daunting task of winning four matches just to qualify for the televised stages at the famous Sheffield theatre. But first comes a busy festive period of training, ahead of qualifiers for the China Open, which take place at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield next month.

“I will be training all over Christmas,” he said. “I will probably take two or three days off, but then start looking towards the China Open qualifiers in Sheffield on January 9. I have got to win four to get to China.”

Walker faces Paul Davison in the first round, before a potential second-round meeting with fellow Sheffield potter Adam Duffy. The winner will then face Anthony Hamilton and Michael Holt to clinch a ticket to the Far East.

Young potters who can shine next year

Luca Brecel, 17, Belgium: Made history by beating Stephen Hendry’s Crucible record as youngest ever competitor. Reached quarter-finals of this month’s UK Championship in York.

Adam Duffy, 23, Sheffield: Turned pro in 2011. Won the Paul Hunter Scholarship in 2009 and close friend of Judd Trump. 2013 will be a key year after a promising debut season in 2011-12.

Cao Yupeng, 22, China: Has spent time training in Sheffield, and reached the last 16 of the World Championship this year. A former Asian Under-21 champion.

Jack Lisowski, 21, Romford: World Snooker’s rookie of the year in 2010-11, a former English Amateur champion, Lisowski has had a poor season this year but has the talent to progress.

Hossein Vafaei Ayouri, 18, Iran: Turned pro this year, he is the first Iranian to play on the main Tour. Won the IBSF World Amateur Championship in 2011 as a 17-year-old.