Snooker glory after tragedy: Why Robert Milkins deserves to stand tall after Welsh Open triumph

When Robert Milkins arrived at the Gibraltar Open 11 months ago he was at an all-time low, his main ambition was simply to win a couple of matches to pay the mortgage. Milkins, a professional since 1995, had won three matches all season. He had earned just £13,250 during the campaign and knew he would likely have to give most of that back to the disciplinary committee after having spent his 46th birthday getting his stomach pumped following a drunken night at the Turkish Masters.

Ad It seemed that on and off the table, Milkins was in a bad place. Yet from somewhere, he summoned up a run to the Gibraltar final and landed the title, his first as a pro. He has never looked back.

Welsh Open'I can’t even speak!' — Milkins on life-changing, 'dream' win over Murphy11 HOURS AGO In Llandudno, he enjoyed an all-time high, winning the Welsh Open and with it the BetVictor European Series bonus prize. On paper, this is worth £230,000, but with places in the Players and Tour Championships, the Champion of Champions and a likely World Championship seeding, the financial guarantee is nearer £300,000. But you get the feeling that this unprecedented windfall will not change The Milkman.

As down-to-earth a character as you can get, he represents authenticity in a sporting world obsessed with image. He’s a normal guy, a father of three who likes a beer, a bet and a good time. He’s relatable, likeable and endearingly honest in interviews.

He never talks himself up, and neither does he deny his own failings. Chasing the cash bonanza at the weekend, he took on a kind of cult hero status. People were willing him on to achieve his dream, recognising that in sport, the apparently ordinary are capable of the extraordinary.