‘They all seem so lazy’ – Luca Brecel critical of young British snooker players

Luca Brecel has branded the latest generation of British snooker stars “lazy” and “impatient” as he prepares to begin his quest to take the world title home to continental Europe for the first time.

This year marks the first since the advent of 16 seeds in 1980 that no home nation player under the age of 30 has been seeded for the tournament, and the 27-year-old Belgian believes the shift in the sport’s traditional power-base is set to continue.

“For the new generation (of British players) it’s all about social media and money,” Brecel told the PA news agency. “These days they all seem so lazy and it will be difficult for more players like (John) Higgins and (Mark) Williams to break through.”

And Brecel, who beat Stephen Hendry’s record to become the youngest player in Crucible history at the age of 17 in 2012, says criticism of the tour’s adoption of the flat 128 draw system is no excuse.

“I’ve heard a lot of players complain about the 128 (draws) but I think you just need to get on with it,” Brecel added. “You must accept it’s going to take a long time to be good at something. Impatience is the word.”

Brecel, who will start against Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham, added: “I’ve got my problems out of the way on and off the table and I’ve had a different season this year. I feel like this year I’ve got my best chance to go far.”