Stonehouse snooker ace Rhys tipped for a top career

Oct 15 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

A YOUNG Stonehouse snooker ace has been tipped for the top... by one of the country’s best coaches.

Jim Donnelly, who operates from Glasgow’s famous Q Club, rates 15-year-old Rhys Clark in the same bracket as Alan McManus, Jamie Burnett and Drew Hendry – and believes he can be as good as world champ John Higgins.

Jim reckons his young student will be the nation’s next top cue ace and said: “Rhys is doing very well and I’ll be looking for a lot from him over the next couple of years.

“He has great temperament and his mannerisms when going round the table are exceptional. He’s really good; he looks the part, plays the part, and is a quick learner. While a lot of players take on what I tell them, Rhys will ask lots of questions, and he picks things up very quickly as well.

“I think Rhys is the next player in Scotland who could make it big and he’s on the same road as John Higgins, Alan McManus and Drew Hendry.”

Jim added: “Rhys comes to the club to train and does so alongside some of the biggest names in the sport. I want him to get comfortable playing alongside these guys.

“It’s almost a ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ situation where I don’t want him to be fazed if he comes up against these guys in competitions, and I want them to get a fright – that this young guy can play as well as they can and could even beat them.

“It remains to be seen if Rhys will carry this through, and only time will tell, but if he does then he can be a top player.”

Rhys recently won the under-16 championship and, after reaching the final of a senior open event at the Q Club, is also ranked second in the under-19 charts.

Last month the Hamilton College student was also given his first Scotland cap at a home international in Wales. Although his three wins from five games couldn’t inspire an historic triumph, the buzz from the event was all about the lad from Hazeldean Farm.

Proud mum Jane (48) said: “Everybody was talking about Rhys’ performances.

“Rhys has been playing snooker for two-and-a-half years since a friend of mine took him to a snooker and pool club in East Kilbride.

“We’ve always had a pool table in the house and Rhys has always been good at it but he wanted to try snooker and really took to it – he’s progressed steadily ever since.”

Jane added: “He does have ideas about turning professional.

“This isn’t just your usual teenager trying something and getting bored of it, Rhys wants to make it to the top.”