"I feel like I can win tournaments, my game is good enough" - Halifax's rising star Stan Moody sets his sights on World Snooker Championships

The 19-year-old plays in the third round of the qualifiers on Friday, April 10, and will then face a final, fourth round qualifier if he wins that.

Stan, who has never qualified for the World Championships before, said: "That's the goal. Hopefully this is the year. "It's like every player's dream to walk down those steps, it's the best thing you can do as a snooker player and to achieve it at such a young age, it would be a dream come true."

He reached the third round last year, but lost 10-9 to Jimmy Robertson.

"It's brutal," he said of the fierce competition for a place in the sport's biggest tournament. "It's only the top 16 that are straight to the Crucible so you have to play best of 19, long matches, draining, a lot will go against you, a lot will go for you, it's a rollercoaster of emotions.

"But you have to stay in the moment and hope it's your day."

Stan is from Sowerby Bridge, where he still lives now, and attended Sowerby Village Primary School and Ryburn Valley High School.

He first went to Halifax Snooker Club aged nine, having been playing pool on holiday.

"That's where I first started playing," he recalled.

"The same day we got back, I went to the snooker club.

"The table was huge but I was potting long balls. I loved it.

"I mainly went there weekends when I was younger because I obviously had school, but I would go the odd night after school.

"Then it started getting more regular, probably four times a week, and then nearly every day when I was getting to 14."

Stan won the first competition he entered, an open age tournament in Leeds, aged 11.

"I love it, I still love it now. It's more like a job now, but I still enjoy playing and competing.

"It's never been boring to me, I've loved every ball."

Stan turned professional aged 16 and has reached the quarter-finals of the British Open and the Wuhan Open, beating top 16 player Barry Hawkins 5-0 along the way.

"All the practicing can get a bit much but you just have to stick at it, and just think 'this is what I love doing'," said Stan, who practices for around four hours each day.

"It pays well, and you get to travel the world, meet new people and see new places.

"I'm also very grateful to my sponsors that have helped me a lot.

"My main sponsor, from Halifax, is Collett Transport, who we have a close family link with, but there's also Cue and Case, who are based in Yorkshire.

"I also have my own website now - stanmoodysnooker.com - that sells all my cue care products, tips and cue towels.

Stan is ranked inside the world's top 50 and is considered one of the top young talents on the World Snooker Tour.

"I feel like I can win tournaments, my game is good enough," he said.

"I've beaten a lot of top players, it's just about doing it more consistently, which is difficult, but I'm learning all the time.

"I want to be winning tournaments and be in the top 16.

"I've had a few good runs, it just needs to be more consistent now.

"It's just about experience and learning.

"Everyone else is really good, it's not just a handful of players who are really good, everyone can play.

"And you can't do anything if they're at the table, you've just got to sit and watch, so a lot of it relies on your opponent, unless you play at 100 per cent, which you never do.

"There's a lot of factors to it, but you just have to hope it's your time."

Stan is hoping to tick off one ambition by reaching this year's World Championships, but says the ultimate prize is to one day lift the trophy.

"It's every player's dream to win the worlds," he said. "It's really tough, you've got to have a lot of stamina, stay mentally strong, play well.

"Hopefully one day."