A SCOTS snooker hero has revealed he tore his game to pieces in a desperate bid to get his career back on track.
After a gruelling qualification process, he’s now learned his first round fate for the UK Championship as he was drawn against world champion Kyren Wilson.
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Stephen Maguire, champion 20 years ago, has reaped the rewards of getting former Scots pro Chris Small to help reconstruct his technique as he qualified for York for the first time in three seasons.
The world No.33 came through a gruelling hour-long decider to punch his ticket to York and now has the world champion in his sights.
He said: “I’ve got a little bit of life back.
“I’ve knuckled down the last three weeks since Belfast. I phoned up Chris Small. I needed help and I’ve been working with him and trying something new technique wise.
“I think I’m still hungry. The thing with me is I despise getting beat. I enjoy winning, but I despise getting beat more than winning.
“If that’s the reason that’s ticking me over, maybe it is, but it still hurts the same as it did 20 years ago when I get beat.
“I’ve been learning again and it’s helped me focus. I started from scratch, I ripped my whole game apart.
“I don’t work with people usually, but I’ve worked with Chris before. I worked with him before Covid and I had to call him back up because I was going nowhere.
“I still prefer a game, but I didn’t qualify for a couple of tournaments John [Higgins] and Ants [McGill] were playing in.
“They were in China and I had a full week to myself. Lucky enough for me Chris made time for me and battered in the bunker with me so I had a good week..ten days with him.
“At least I’m enjoying it a bit more. I’m putting in work, I’m putting in solo practice which I’ve not done for years and years.”
Maguire has become famous on the circuit for swapping cues during his career and once played at the World Championship with a cue he got off a mate for £20.
But even by his “nuts” standards, the TEN cues he has gone through this season has been madness.
He added: “I’m always messing about with cues, but I was messing about with far too many cues this season. I think I’ve used ten cues this season in tournaments.
“I wasn’t blaming that, but I wasn’t getting anywhere with it. I went to a qualifier in Sheffield, I played some boy I don’t remember his name, and it’s the worst I’ve ever played as a professional. I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t pot two balls on the spin and I didn’t qualify for a big tournament..the International.
“It was either go home and disappear for a week and do what I usually do, drink, or make a move and give it something.”
John Higgins will start his quest for a fourth UK crown against either Stan Moody or He Guoqiang, who play their Judgement Day qualifier tonight.
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