SEVEN-TIME world snooker champion Stephen Hendry has warned young West Yorkshire prospect Stan Moody not to act like ‘a spoiled brat’.
The Scot was speaking on the WST’s Snooker Club podcast, where he criticised the 20-year-old’s attitude during a British Open quarter-final defeat to Liam Highfield.
Moody, who grew up practicing the game in Bradford, has made great strides and made the main draw at The Crucible for the first time earlier this year.
But Hendry was critical of Moody’s body language in that defeat to Highfield.
Speaking about the Halifax native on the podcast, Hendry said: “I wasn’t happy with his attitude in the match he lost to Highfield.
“I don’t know whether the speed at which Highfield was playing was getting to Moody but every time the camera went to him in his chair the body language wasn’t great.
“He’s got something about him that I like.
“He’s cocky, which you need, I don’t mind cocky at all but you’ve got to realise that other players are entitled to play how they want to play.
“It’s just about you and the table, forgetting what your opponent’s doing."
Hendry added: “I was the same myself.
“I turned pro very young at 16, then I’m playing against Rex Williams, who was still playing.
“I beat him, but I was acting in the chair like this was boring.
“I was thinking: ‘What’s this guy doing? It’s a different game to how I play.’
“I actually said in the press conference, that was completely the wrong thing to say.
“It was like a spoiled brat: ‘Why is this old man playing like this when I want to pot the balls?’
‘You’ve got to quickly get out of that and just think that these guys are there for a reason because they’re bloody good players.
“Whether they play the game differently to you, they’re still great, great snooker players and you’ve got to find a way to beat them.”
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