Barry Hearn reckons that maverick genius Ronnie O’Sullivan will thank him in the future – simply as boxer Chris Eubank did in a shock telephone name. The Rocket has been snooker’s largest field workplace star for 3 many years and stays world No 1 and joint holder with Stephen Hendry of the document for world titles with seven.

But O’Sullivan’s relationship with each the sport and the authorities has typically been strained earlier than discovering extra peace since turning to famend sports activities psychiatrist Steve Peters in 2011.

Though former World Snooker supremo Hearn has at all times acknowledged O’Sullivan’s distinctive capability, there have been many public spats that fuelled the participant’s repute as anti-establishment.

Hearn, now a lifetime president of mother or father organisation Matchroom, typically felt compelled to refute allegations and remind O’Sullivan of his ambassadorial duties to the game.

Despite O’Sullivan’s criticisms of these operating the game and even his fellow professionals, he has amassed £13million in prize cash alone, and possibly double that in whole from the sport.

And promoter Hearn, 74, hopes in the future O’Sullivan will respect that the alternatives supplied to him allowed his expertise to flourish and thrive.

Eubank was an eccentric, brash and supremely self-confident fighter that rose below Hearn to win world titles at middleweight and super-middleweight.

And Hearn stated: "It is so satisfying when a player says thank you. Now I am not expecting Ronnie to join that list now… but when he gets older, he will.

"Because he'll look again and be reflective and suppose, 'I've had an incredible life, I used to be an incredible participant. Why did I've an incredible life? Because I had alternative'.

"And that is the one thing about sport that you must never stop delivering for kids to inspire anybody about sport.

"Sometimes it takes time to quiet down and discover out really who you might be. And I feel Ronnie has came upon who he's.

"It’s a bit like Steve Davis now. Steve with his music, his Blur concert this summer, Glastonbury. I have never seen someone so happy. He has found where he wants to be.

"And whereas Ronnie is just one participant, he's crucial participant. Whilst his choices may not be in my curiosity, I really applaud him for residing the life he needs to dwell.

"As you get older, you get a bit reflective. There is chasing money, profits and success, but I am just as happy going fishing on my own with a can of worms.

"Ronnie isn't going to be 'Mr Normal' as a result of geniuses aren’t regular. We watch his profession and thank him for the worth he provides.

"And we hope he appreciates what snooker has done for him as well. That may come later rather than earlier.

"Chris Eubank phoned me up the opposite day. Out of the blue, from someplace on the planet.