World Snooker Championship star, 36, breaks down in tears after revealing he’s quit booze following ‘bad experiences’

DANIEL WELLS broke down in tears as he revealed he has quit alcohol following “a couple of bad experiences”.

The Welsh cueist won three rounds of qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield last week to qualify for the Crucible for the first time – and at the 16th time of asking.

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Daniel Wells has quit booze and is reaping the benefits[/caption]

It has been an emotional journey for the Glamorgan ace, 36, who has cut out the booze since the end of last year.

Beer was his crutch during the dark days as he struggled to cope with top-level baize action.

It was only the intervention of his sponsors South Manchester Resurfacing, who suggested he should seek help, that he was able to knuckle down and go teetotal.

Wells said: “I have quit alcohol. Seven months now without a drink.

“It was just my lifestyle. Probably drinking too much, dealing with the pressure of snooker.

“I turned to it. For the day-to-day pressures of practice. Like a coping mechanism.

“But it’s not the best way to cope with it. I’m really proud of myself. I feel better.

“There were a couple of bad experiences. I was drinking when I shouldn’t have been.

“Turning up to some tournaments, having a few drinks the night before to try and deal with the pressure. But it became a bad habit.

“Drinking when I didn’t want to be drinking really. A sponsor came on board and put me in touch with a therapist.

“That has been massive as well, dealing with my own personality and stuff, dealing with the pressures of the game.

“I can only take it day-by-day. I think a lot of snooker players have addictive personalities.

“You have got to be addictive to keep coming back, to the brain damage that is the game really.

“Any habit can form and I got myself into a bad habit. Luckily I have broken the habit. It’s day-by-day.”

Wells is taking on Shaun Murphy, the 2005 world champion.

His career has not followed the path he had hoped, especially since he was awarded the inaugural Paul Hunter Scholarship and was given the chance to practise at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield.

On his drinking habits, Wells continued: “It starts out with a couple of cans, watching the football.

“A good day’s practice, have a couple of cans. A bad day’s practice, have a couple of cans.

“But you know, you have got a bit of an issue. It’s a tough game to deal with mentally.

“I know there are a number of players who go through similar things with different addictions and it is a tough gig. We can only try our best.”