Young snooker stars hoping to create own Luke Littler effect at the Crucible

Where is the next generation of British snooker stars is a question that has been asked for years and we may have got the answer at the 2026 World Championship.

Stan Moody and Liam Pullen have been the answer to that question for a while, in truth, but as they both book Crucible debuts, they are showing that they are stars, not just of the future, but the present.

19-year-old Moody won two matches to come through qualifying, while Pullen, 20, had to win four from the first round, impressively downing Thai pair Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Noppon Saengkham at the English Institute of Sport.

Snooker bosses would love to see either or both players bring about a boom in interest like Luke Littler has in darts, attracting the attention of a huge number of new, young fans.

Littler is already a two-time world champion on the oche, while neither Moody nor Pullen have been beyond a ranking quarter-final, so they are not in the same league yet.

However, in terms of hopefully being the flagbearer for a new generation of fans, Moody is happy to accept the comparison.

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‘Yeah, I think it’s quite fair,’ Moody said on being dubbed the Luke Littler of the baize. ‘Snooker is a lot harder than darts, I’d say.

‘There’s not many young players coming through. There’s obviously Liam Pullen, but doing what I’m doing, there’s not many of them. So it is a fair comment.

‘Hopefully, yeah [I can inspire new fans]. I think people think it’s a boring game, it’s an old man’s game. It’s not. It can be fun.

‘That’s why I try and play more attacking, play fast, and try and encourage young players to do it and believe they can do it.’

Moody is taking inspiration himself from watching someone his own age become a world champion, albeit in a very different sport.

‘Snooker’s a lot harder to dominate, especially nowadays with the standard, anyone can beat anyone, he said. ‘Darts isn’t really like that. There’s sort of a top few that are very good. But Luke’s generational, he’s amazing. That’s what I’m trying to be in snooker.

‘I’ve got a bit to go yet, but I’ll keep going.’

Pullen and Moody were fierce rivals over their junior careers but have become closer friends now they are separately rising the ranks of the professional game.

‘It’s going to be quite special us going together,’ Pullen said of making his Crucible debut the same year as his fellow Yorkshireman.

‘I remember the first time he walked into the Northern Snooker Centre and I was there. We’ve grown up together. English Under-14 final together, I was in absolute bits because I lost 5-4 on a re-spotted black. But it’s something I can look back now on and laugh.

‘I think it’s a fantastic achievement for the both of us. We’ll both be buzzing.’

Moody becomes the first teenage British debutant at the Crucible since Judd Trump made his first appearance in 2007.

On comparisons to the current world number one, he said: ‘We’ll see. Judd’s done a lot more than me in the game, he’s a lot older.

‘Hopefully I can beat some of his records, but I’m on my own journey, I’m on my own path and we’ll see what happens and have fun.’

There has been a steady stream of young talent from China coming into the professional game in recent years, while there has also been an impressive rise in number of prospects from mainland Europe.

Poland’s Antoni Kowalski will illustrate that by also making his Crucible debut this year, having come through qualifying in emotional fashion.

The 22-year-old was not only playing to book a spot at the world famous venue, but needed to win his three qualifying games to keep hold of his professional status for next season.

Impressive victories over Connor Benzey, Joe O’Connor and Jamie Jones meant he achieved both goals and was left in tears as a result.

‘The best explanation will be that I never cry, that’s the perfect explanation of how much this means to me. I’m over the moon,’ he told WST.

It is the next step on a journey that started when he first picked up a cue at six years old and his talent saw him gifted a table as a nine-year-old through the Paul Hunter Foundation.

Kowalski will become Poland’s first ever representative at the Crucible as he, Moody and Pullen await news on who they will play in Thursday morning’s draw.

The Englishmen were tight-lipped on who they might like to play on the big stage, but the Pole fancies taking on a legend, especially one he is yet to face in his professional career.

‘I always wanted to play all of the Class of 92 so hopefully it would be Mark [Williams] or Ronnie [O’Sullivan]. I wouldn’t mind playing John [Higgins] again. That’s a dream.’

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