Ronnie O’Sullivan: ‘I’ve developed my own belief system based on the snooker gods’

Ronnie O’Sullivan says that he ‘genuinely believe there’s a snooker god out there’ and he is being looked after by the higher power of the baize.

The Rocket regularly mentions the snooker gods and the influence these deities wield over his matches, but he now insists that they impact his life away from the table as well.

While the world champion acknowledges that it is an unusual ‘belief system’ to base his life around, the thought of the snooker god has helped him overcome trying times.

‘The newspapers have talked about me getting involved with all sorts of religions, but I’ve developed my own belief system based on the snooker gods,’ O’Sullivan told The Times.

‘I know people will laugh at that, but I genuinely believe there’s a snooker god out there who’s been looking after me. If I talk to anyone before I go to sleep, it’s him. He’s the one who convinced me that there really was a way out of the darkness.’

The world number one has often spoken of overcoming addiction earlier in his career, through entering rehab in 2000 and then focusing his life on healthier pursuits than alcohol and drugs, like running and cooking.

The 46-year-old has credited his family and renowned sports psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters, among others, for heling him overcome his issues, but also reckons the snooker gods have smiled down on him.

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‘I have always believed in the snooker gods,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘I am not a religious person, I am not a spiritual person – other than taking care of myself