Top News

England and Manchester United legend Paul Scholes claims he doesn't care that he only got to see Ronnie O'Sullivan in action for under an hour, as watching the Rocket at the Crucible in the World Snooker Championship was one of the highlights of his life. His admission comes after BBC snooker commentator John Parrot apologised to Scholes live on air after the ex-midfielder's experience of watching the legend was dramatically cut short as the Rocket demolished his opponent in just over 30 minutes.

O'Sullivan, who has flirted with retirement, was ultimately defeated by John Higgins in the quarter-finals of this year's tournament. However, Scholes was in attendance to watch the Rocket dismantle He Guoqiang in the first round. The seven-time world champion had stormed into a 7-2 lead after the opening session and required only three further frames to seal a commanding victory.

Scholes was seated in the front row for the second session of the game. During the encounter, the BBC cameras panned to the Premier League-winning star, with Parrot saying: "A very interested spectator, one of England's greatest midfielders, Paul Scholes, is here today to watch Ronnie. I'm sure he'll be impressed with what he's seen."

As O'Sullivan closed in on the win, the ex-Snooker star added: "Paul Scholes might have enjoyed this but he's only going to see three frames of it. Sorry Paul, this man is just too good."

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page

Talking on The Good, The Bad & The Football Podcast, which is hosted by Paddy McGuinness, the United icon spoke of his long-standing ambition to watch snooker's greatest player of all time perform on the iconic Crucible stage.

He revealed that the experience was so great that he had no qualms about it ending so soon."I wanted to go and do it for years, go and watch Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Crucible" said Scholes. "I live an hour away (from the Crucible) so on my phone, had a look, see if I buy a ticket - there was one ticket left.

"It's three seats away from Ronnie - I've clicked on it, 450 quid, and I just thought 'F*** it. I'm doing it'. It's something that I've always wanted to do. I don't really get excited about much stuff, do I?

"But this was f***ing unbelievable. One of the best things I've ever done. Honestly, peace and quiet, I could have sat in that chair for two weeks. I swear to God, I could have watched every single game.

"He did it in about 45 minutes, got two centuries - absolute genius. It's one of the best things I've ever done in my life, honestly. At one point, I got a bit giddy.

"Do you know what? I was on a high for about three days after it. I'm still talking about it now, it's one of the best things I've done in my life. Watching a genius at work like that, it's unbelievable."