{"id":9469,"date":"2026-05-08T06:17:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T06:17:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=9469"},"modified":"2026-05-08T06:17:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T06:17:05","slug":"rob-milkins-speaks-out-on-career-uncertainty-after-losing-professional-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=9469","title":{"rendered":"Rob Milkins speaks out on career uncertainty after losing professional status"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rob Milkins is fighting to save his career at 50 (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rob Milkins is bidding for World Seniors glory and then to return to the professional tour after losing his pro status for the first time since 1997.<\/p>\n

The Milkman first turned pro in 1995 and, other than a brief hiatus two years later, has been on tour ever since and achieved his greatest successes in recent times.<\/p>\n

He downed Kyren Wilson to win the Gibraltar Open in 2022 and then beat Shaun Murphy in the final of the Welsh Open in 2023, winning the \u00a3150,000 BetVictor Bonus in doing so.<\/p>\n

It was only in April 2024 that Milkins was a top 16 seed at the Crucible and won his opening round game, but two years on, he lost to amateur player Patrick Whelan 10-3 in World Championship qualifying and dropped off tour, ranked number 72 in the world.<\/p>\n

The 50-year-old is not hanging up his cue yet, saying it has been a torrid few months of personal problems that has taken his eye off the table, but he plans to come back stronger.<\/p>\n

\u2018My head\u2019s not been great for the last six months. Lots of trauma going on, it just all builds up, and I didn\u2019t handle it very well,\u2019 Milkins told Metro.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tAre you snooker loopy?\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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You’re in the right place. I’m Phil Haigh, and I cover the game we all love for Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In my newsletter, The Table, I analyse the biggest talking points, pull back the curtain on the sport and crown the biggest winners and losers every week.<\/p>\n

We’ve just seen one of the greatest World Championships of all time, so there’s no better time to sign up.<\/p>\n

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Phil has been reporting on snooker for over a decade<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018My heart weren\u2019t in it [against Whelan]. And I know it\u2019s sad because it\u2019s such a big game. I sort of panicked a bit even from 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, thinking, what the hell is going on here? He didn\u2019t really miss much. His safety was really good. I give him a lot of credit. I thought he was very good.<\/p>\n

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Milkins was in the top 16 just two years ago (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018But it\u2019s just up to me to get out of the rut now and try and get back to where I should be. At least on the tour.\u2019<\/p>\n

Milkins is playing in the World Seniors Championship at the Crucible this week, beating Jimmy White in his opener on Thursday night, to face Igor Figueiredo next on Friday.<\/p>\n

Then comes Q School in a bid tor return to tour, a notoriously pressurised, tense environment as players scrap for their careers.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve entered Q School. Hopefully I\u2019ll get back on,\u2019 he said. \u2018I think I\u2019ve got the game to get back on. But it\u2019s a bit of a pot luck, isn\u2019t it, really? You could be the best player in the world, but you ain\u2019t guaranteed to get on through that system.<\/p>\n

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Milkins won the Welsh Open and BetVictor Bonus in February 2023 (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018No player\u2019s got a God-given right to be on the tour, you know. I\u2019ve heard it all before. People say he\u2019s too good to fall off and whatever. Well, they\u2019re not. But, like I say, people don\u2019t really know about a difficult situation. But there you go. I didn\u2019t handle it very well.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve been practicing hard, down in Yate, near Bristol with Andrew Norman.\u2019<\/p>\n

Milkins is well aware that he would have to look at other options if Q School did not go to plan, but hasn\u2019t allowed too much thought about it, given a return to the tour is what he is focussed on.<\/p>\n

\u2018I couldn\u2019t even do coaching or nothing because my coaching style would be completely different to anyone else\u2019s. You know?\u2019 Milkins said.<\/p>\n

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