Alfie Burden reveals how Jimmy White helped keep his snooker career alive ahead of Q School – 'Like family to me'

Alfie Burden has revealed how best friend Jimmy 'Whirlwind' White has inspired him to continue his professional snooker career at the highest level. Burden will head back to Q School — the qualification process for the World Snooker Tour — for the second time in the past two years this week in an attempt to regain his access to the main circuit after finishing outside the top 64 in the world rankings. Ad The Paddington-born potter retired from the main circuit in 2020, but made a comeback in 2021 as he successfully secured a two-year tour card.

SnookerO'Sullivan could return to defend Hong Kong Masters title at snooker's biggest venue09/05/2023 AT 15:31 He will need to emulate that display this year with eight cards available from this year's 208-player Q School in Leicester, the first tournament of the new campaign. Burden admits he is feeling positive about his prospects after reaching the final of the World Seniors final against fellow Londoner White at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield earlier this month. He lost 5-3 to the six-time world finalist after failing to find top gear, but admits he has been listening to words of advice from the Tooting icon, who extended his astonishing 43-year stay on the sport's main tour via the one-year ranking list.

“It was a difficult match in the final for a couple of reasons," said Burden on WST. «Jimmy is obviously my best mate. He is like family to me and we speak on the phone every day.

»We try to help each other out with a few different things. He just won’t even hear any suggestions of me stopping playing. He is a brilliant person.

“I loved playing at the Crucible again, because I haven’t played there for many years. I think I played some great snooker. «I’m disappointed I