Quotes from Jimmy White

Snooker lifted me out of depression.

That period in the late Eighties and early Nineties was when I was playing my best snooker. My trouble was that I had so many bad habits that my preparation was terrible: people like Steve Davis or Dennis Taylor were model pros.

Northern Ireland as a whole is a great snooker country because of Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor and now of course there is Mark Allen. It's a hotbed of snooker and a place where our sport is always well supported.

Ding has a fantastic all-round game. His temperament is also at a very high level.

I was a beat-the-system sort of player, but you can't beat the system, you have to prepare properly.

I have only prepared properly for the World Championship three or four times in my life. If I had gone about it professionally I would have won the title 10 times.

Snooker still fascinates me and I still get a buzz from it.

First thing about snooker, find a cue you're happy with. Then stick with it.

I was mad-keen on poker as a kid. It was like the snooker, pulling me into that same smokey atmosphere I loved.

People appreciate anyone who takes chances - they like a bit of flair.

I was a big fan of Naseem Hamed, and followed him. Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and I know him well.

If you're playing the best of 19, and it's 7-7 and there's only five frames left, you tend to take a few more chances.

Ronnie is a very clever winner. He will make sure that he does everything in his power to win the tournament. He is super-fit.

We go out and have a drink occasionally. We're quite happy to go for a nice meal and go the theatre or something.

The Queen is a true professional and calmly pinned my MBE on.

Most gamblers do it for ego. It's not about winning or losing, it's about challenging your ego and showing your mates you're fearless and will bet on anything.

I grew up in south London and spent most of my adolescence in the snooker halls of the area, turning professional at 17.

The best match I ever played in was the U.K. championship final against John Parrot in 1992. I won 16-14 and I felt like I could pot anything from anywhere.

Ronnie Wood's my good mate, I'm godfather to his twins.

We play Snooker Legends exhibitions and there is never a spare ticket.

The people in China love their snooker. We get a fantastic reception when we go over there.

The trouble started when I won the world amateur title in 1980, aged 18. People began talking about me as the next star of the game. But I also started to get recognised more and I wasn't prepared for it.

It sounds strange to be world champion at the Crucible.

Do I have any regrets about my life? No.