World Snooker Championship 2024: Alan McManus on Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins

“This is a story and it’s true. I’ve never said this to him and maybe I’ll dig him up over it. We’re playing in the World Cup in the spring of ’96. Myself, Stephen and John [Higgins – and they won].

“We’re about two months away from it and we’re in Bournemouth and I’m walking along this corridor and Stephen is walking the other way and he actually put his head down and ignored me.

“We’re the only two people there. I can’t believe he’s done that so I went to John, ‘mate, you won’t believe this’. And John’s going, ‘nah, you’re imagining things’.

“We’re at the British Open about a month later and John comes to me and says, ‘you’ll not believe this, he’s just blanked me as well’.”

He loves talking about his peers. Admires them massively, particularly Higgins.

“John has an other-worldly thing about him. To be in the top-16 in the world for 30 years, which it’s going to be in the next year or two, is unbelievable to me. It’s unbelievable that he still has the hunger and desire.”

When you ask who the guy is he admires the most, he says Higgins. For the player and for the person he is. He is supposed to be neutral at the Crucible but you get a sense that if Higgins was to do it again he would be bursting with pride up there in the box.

And Ronnie? A while back, McManus wondered if he was losing some of his magic. Said it on air. Bad idea. This season, O’Sullivan has won the UK Championship, the Shanghai Masters, the World Grand Prix, the Masters and the World Masters in Saudi.

“In Saudi, he got three tons and an 80-odd and did John 4-0. John didn’t pot a ball in the match. Scored four points – a foul. I mean…”

He did not have to say another word. It was written on his face. The life he had was special, the life he has now is still special. Different, but a joy to watch these players perform and nowhere better than at the Crucible, the playground for guys trying to rip each other’s guts out.