HAWKERIDGE’S Ben Harrison is hoping that a spell practicing alongside new world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will help inspire him to clinch a place on the World Snooker Tour at this month’s Q School.

The first of the three Q School tournaments, where 12 amateurs will make it on to the pro circuit for at least two years, begins at Sheffield’s World Snooker Academy on Sunday and the 20-year-old hopeful starts his bid when he takes on Jordan Brown on Monday.

Last month, Harrison was invited to train at the Grove Snooker Academy in Romford with top pros Judd Trump and Liang Wenbo but it was the presence of his idol ‘The Rocket’ O’Sullivan – who lifted his fourth world title at The Crucible in Sheffield on Monday – that most excited him.

“It was great to practice with Judd and Liang and I actually beat Judd twice but you couldn’t help but notice that Ronnie was in the room,” said Harrison.

“He’s my idol and I didn’t get to play him but when he was looking over when I was playing, I was just thinking ‘don’t miss’.

“I did try and talk to him a bit and he was just a regular guy – it was amazing and I was so glad that I was there.”

This year will see Harrison take his second shot at reaching the pro tour via the Q School and he said: “I’m feeling confident and I’m playing well but not at my very best at the moment, which is a good thing for me.

“I’m expecting to go through and I know I can do it but it’s still nerve-wracking at the same time – if you don’t get nervous then you shouldn’t be playing really.

“There’s been a whole year building up to this and I’m just hoping that it’s my time.”

Last Wednesday, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry announced his retirement from the game after being knocked out of this year’s World Championships at the quarter-final stage.

In December last year, Harrison took on the most successful player of all time in a Players’ Tour Championship event in Sheffield and paid tribute to the retiring legend.

“When you ask any up and coming snooker player who they’d like to be like, they say Stephen Hendry – he’s the king of the Crucible,” he said.

“He’s a legend but he’s retiring on a high and it was so amazing to have had the chance to play against him.”