Tony Drago remains one of snookerās most iconic figures (Picture: WST)
Tony Drago, one of snookerās greatest every gun-slinging entertainers, may not have the titles of many of his rivals, but he is sticking to those guns and would not change a thing.
At 57, the Tornado is finished with the professional game, living back in Malta but still watching every bit of snooker available to him.
He was over in the UK this week to compete in The 900, the pioneering new amateur tournament, and he showed that the old magic has not left him, winning a couple of games.
The veteran has still got it, but he doesnāt get his cue out in Malta too much these days because he doesnāt love the conditions in his home country.
āI donāt play much, no,ā Tony told Metro.co.uk. āIāve got a problem because I donāt like to play in the humidity and Malta is full of humidity. Sometimes I go down and have a game with the boys, but not enough.
āThere is one or two or three who can give me a game, but Iām used to playing against the very, very top, so itās hard to get up for it. I respect them because theyāre very good, but you get used to playing a certain level.
āIāve done what I had to do. 32 years on tour, itās enough for me. I just play for fun now. I miss it [the tour] but not that much because Iām not good enough to compete on the main tour. If I was still living in the UK, practicing five hours a day, then Iād still give everybody a run even at 57!ā
Drago may not be on the baize as much anymore, but he is just as obsessed with snooker as ever and loves to watch the players who bring the flair to the table, just as he did.
āI watch every frame, I watch it all,ā he said. āJimmy will always be my favourite player. Probably like another million people I enjoy watching Ronnie. No doubt heās the best ever.
āApart from five or six, I donāt like to watch nobody. I wonāt say any names because itās not fair, but thereās a lot of robotic players in the game now. I like the flair, like Ronnie, Judd, Higgins, although people wouldnāt think Higgins has got flair but heās brilliant to watch. Zhao Xintong, a few more.
āThe rest, like Mark Selby, if he plays a lower ranked player I can never watch. Heās a great great player, but not the prettiest to watch. When he plays Ronnie or Judd heās so tough, I enjoy to watch his toughness, I know those players will have to be up for it to beat Mark Selby. Then I like watching him, but against a lower ranked player, I canāt be bothered.
āRonnie can say Judd is this, Higgins is that, the player he most doesnāt like to play is Mark Selby.ā
Drago has the ultimate respect for OāSullivan, first seeing the Rocket in action as a teenager and knowing that he was set for greatness from the off.
āOh we knew when he was 13, we knew he would be unstoppable,ā said Tony.
āRonnie deserves what he gets, with hard work, his running. Donāt be fooled by Ronnie when he says itās a holiday, we know whoās the greatest, but he will still want another world title to be on his own on eight.
Tony Drago expects at least one more World Championship for Ronnie OāSullivan (Picture: Getty Images)
āHe will play it down, but I know he wants that, and he will get it, itās only six months to go to the Worlds and nobody is near him! Iām not saying he will definitely win the next one guaranteed. But who is close to him? Nobody.
āFor me, Ronnie is the most talented sportsman, not snooker player, but sportsman of all time. He might not be as tough mentally as a Woods, because Ronnie can sometimes go off the rails mentally, but talking about pure talent, thereās no one with as much. Ronnie is mentally strong, I donāt think he has a problem being mentally strong, he has had a problem being mentally disciplined, thatās different.
āRonnie, if he plays another three years, he will definitely win another one, maybe two more world titles. If heās on nine, heāll go for 10!
āAs long as he looks after his body and runs, what do you want, a 50 year old who runs or a 35 year old who eats burgers and kebabs? Iāll take the 50 year old.
āI never gave myself the best chance, I was 118 kilos, eating kebabs, burgers, then I had heart failure four years ago! I feel good now, I canāt be a million percent or I wouldnāt take all these tablets every day, but I feel healthy.ā
Drago is an iconic figure in the sport, the favourite player of many fans, but he does not have the titles to match his legendary status in snooker.
A peak of number 10 in the world and just one big title at the 1996 Guangzhou Masters was not enough for his talent and he knows it, but he is proud of his achievements as he forged a rarely-trodden path from Malta and did it in style.
āI had a laugh, I had a lot of fun,ā he said. āObviously I underachieved by a mile and a half. I should have won big tournaments, but then again, a kid from Malta, first 10 years I was homesick more than enjoyed being here.
āI had missteps as well, dodgy managers and stuff. I look at my career as proud of what I achieved rather than what I didnāt win. Number 10 in the world, a couple of tournaments here and there. I had to struggle, thatās why I respect someone like Neil Robertson or Ding Junhui, itās 10 times harder.
Tony Drago reached the World Championship quarter-finals on debut in 1988 (Picture: Getty Images)
āOkay, sometimes my temperament let me down, these guys today train their mind. I just played on instinct. I had the wrong mentality, I was offered coaching, even at number 10 in the world I was offered it, but I would rather do it my way. When I failed I did it myself and I can live with that, I didnāt want a coach and have someone to blame.
āJimmy didnāt win the big one but heās still more popular than everyone apart from probably Ronnie. People love the way we played, showing our emotions. I still get texts now asking why Iām not on tour, I have to say, āguys Iām not good enough.ā They say they donāt care if I miss every shot or not, but I do care! England is one place, they love winners, but they also love entertainers.
āI never wanted to change my game, I loved my game. People ask me would I change the way I played to win more and I say no. I enjoyed playing, I didnāt enjoy losing, but the day after I wake up and itās okay.ā
Drago and White were long-time practice partners and great friends and the Tornado talks with extreme fondness of the Whirlwind, although he will only ever be honest with him.
āI lived in Balham, south London,ā he said. āI practiced with Jimmy for years., but I donāt drink or smoke, when the night comes I go one way and Jimmy went another, but in the morning we practice. Heās my idol, my hero, my friend, still now.ā
On whether Jimmy can still win big titles, as he claims, Tony said: āThatās stupid of him, we know that cannot happen. If he says he can beat anyone on his day then yes, but thatās too much. I can say I can break this glass, but if I say I can knock Mike Tyson out, youāre not going to believe me.ā
Jimmy White sensationally qualified for the UK Championship main stages this week, at 60 years old (Picture: Getty Images)
Drago will always give an honest opinion and will happily do so on social media, where he doesnāt mind ruffling a few feathers.
āI like social media, but I use it in a positive way. You still get idiots who donāt agree with you, but I donāt mind,ā he said.
āI used to play, I know all the players, I have every right to write a post, itās all in good spirits. Like the other day I said, Stephen Hendry shouldnāt have a wildcard when he doesnāt play any tournaments.
āIām not close friends with Stephen, but we get on well, when he sees me he might say, āwhat the hell are you saying?ā Iād say, āyou know what Iām saying. You donāt deserve it!ā
āThereās players out there who are not as good as Hendry was but theyāre better than him now who want a tour card and canāt get it. He quit too young and for too long.ā
After playing on the professional circuit from 1985-2016 and now watching every frame he can get hold of, Drago is well placed to judge the standard in snooker and he thinks the top of the game is not vastly different from his heyday, although down the rankings, the difference is stark.
āI say the top 16 now and top 16 before, itās slightly better now but not by a margin, but 17 down itās miles better,ā he said. āYou play number 18 in the world, you know he can beat world number one. When I turned pro in the 80s, the number 18 would get nowhere near the number one.
āIn the 90s, when I was number 10, Higgins, Ronnie, Williams, Hendry, Ebdon, Parrott, Doherty, all great players. Okay the game has developed, more one visits, but I donāt see much difference.
āPeople can say whatever they want, but Steve Davis in the 80s at his best, he would have competed with all the players of now. In a different way, he probably wouldnāt out score them, but he was too clever.
āDavis playing Trump now, both at their best, Judd would not enjoy that, Davis would have tied his knots. Davis wouldnāt be scoring hundreds, but heād make 70 and put you behind a colour.
āDavis would be top four of any era, for me. By a mile my hardest opponent. The other guys might knock you out, but Davis would jab you to death, heād kill you slowly. I played him 16 times and only won once. But that win was the China Masters final. I kept saying, I beat you in a final! He just said, Iām in the final every tournament, where were you? Heās a great lad.ā
Unsurprisingly, chatting to Tony and hearing his views is an absolute pleasure and one that any snooker fan would enjoy, so would he be interested in a role on television?
āI wouldnāt like to do commentary, but I would like to do what Jimmy does and talk after the matches,ā he said. āI wouldnāt be worried about saying something and getting sacked, I donāt care.ā
MORE : āIāve given my whole life to the gameā ā Jimmy Whiteās emotional return to UK Championship
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‘Thereās a lot of robotic players in the game now. I like the flair.’Ā