Ronnie O’Sullivan targets rogue career move after he eventually retires

Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed that he already has his retirement plan mapped out as he eyes a career in athletics. The snooker star has never shied away from leaving the sport, especially over the past few years, but he is not content with just kicking back and relaxing beyond that point.

O’Sullivan has enjoyed an incredibly successful career, winning the World Snooker Championship on seven occasions. Though the 47-year-old has admitted that drink and drugs almost prevented him from reaching his potential, with a love for running – as well as rehab – getting him back on the path to success.

In his new book, Entitled, O’Sullivan revealed that he would like to turn his love for the sport into a career once he retires from snooker. He explained: “I’ve thought about taking my athletics coaching badges. The best nights of my life were down at the track in Woodford Green.

“The times I took my daughter running and gave her a little advice. The times I’ve shared snooker knowledge with young players — those were the most rewarding.”

O’Sullivan often runs with his friends Greg and Sonny, though his true inspiration in the sphere is Eamonn Martin. The endurance runner is the last British athlete to win the London Marathon (1993) and O’Sullivan would like to literally follow in his footsteps – though admits that aiming to win the race could be too significant of a task.

“I would love to run the London Marathon one day,” he continued. “I’m not going to be doing what Eamonn did but I would love to have a go at it. For now, I need to keep the injuries at bay.”