Stephen Maguire: I’ve not had a good career but I’ve got stories

Stephen Maguire feels helium has not had the vocation helium should person had truthful far, picking up much tales to archer than titles implicit the years.

The Scot is backmost astatine the UK Championship connected Monday, 20 years aft helium lifted the trophy successful York and appeared to denote himself among the elite of the sport.

That triumph saw him bushed the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Steve Davis and Stephen Lee connected his mode to the trophy, but it is not truthful overmuch arsenic a distant representation arsenic not truly a representation astatine all.

‘People punctual me, I don’t truly look back, I honestly can’t remember. I can’t retrieve the matches. I cognize I won it,’ said Maguire.

‘I don’t retrieve the games that I played, I don’t retrieve overmuch astir it. I’d similar to beryllium capable to gully connected those memories, but I’ve conscionable not got it.’

Maguire has six ranking titles to his name, but has not added immoderate much Triple Crowns to his CV, contempt O’Sullivan tipping him to ‘dominate the crippled for a decade’ aft the archetypal committedness helium displayed.

Asked if he’s satisfied with what he’s achieved since that UK glory 20 years ago, helium said: ‘No. Och, no. I’ve not had a bully career.

‘Without a uncertainty I’ve not won what I deliberation possibly I should person won. I don’t attraction what anybody other says, but I deliberation I’ve near a fewer tournaments retired determination and that’s astir apt my ain fault.’

Maguire suggested that it has been choices disconnected the array that person outgo him silverware, saying: ‘As maine and Matthew Stevens say, we’ve got stories. Not a batch of the boys person got stories, they’ve got titles but they’ve not got stories. Maybe it’s a bully thing, I don’t know.

‘Looking back. I deliberation possibly I astir apt should person knuckled down from 2005, possibly that 7 oregon 8 twelvemonth period. I should person possibly knuckled down a small spot more. Och aye, it’s distant now. I’m inactive here, I’m inactive breathing.’

Maguire is inactive susceptible of producing satellite people snooker, reaching the World Championship quarter-final earlier this twelvemonth and helium has qualified for the UK Championship, wherever helium volition look Kyren Wilson connected Monday afternoon.

With Mark Williams lifting a rubric already this play astatine 49 years old, the Scot could person a fig of years near successful the crippled yet.

‘Brilliant. Just brilliant,’ Maguire said of Williams’ triumph astatine the Champion of Champions. ‘He’s special, but there’s a fewer of them that are special. Obviously the 3 main ones [Williams, O’Sullivan and John Higgins].

‘Listen, each I tin bash is try, I tin conscionable amusement up and effort and interest astir me.’

Maguire has been moving with erstwhile pro turned manager Chris Small successful caller weeks, which seems to amusement that helium retains the hunger to get amended and instrumentality to title-winning ways.

‘I deliberation so. I inactive despise getting beat,’ helium said. ‘I bask winning but I despise getting bushed more.

If that’s the crushed that is ticking maine implicit past maybe, it inactive hurts the aforesaid arsenic 20 twelvemonth ago.’