A young snooker player from Leyton has won the England Under-21 Championship, joining the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Kyren Wilson in achieving the feat.

Peter Devlin beat Richard Haney 8-6 on Saturday and this win could result in Devlin being able to turn professional in the near future.

The 19-year-old said he knew the final would be close but felt he played slightly better than his opponent.

“It was always very close as it was an up and down match,” he said.

“I felt I played a bit better than he was but there was something about him that was keeping me close.

“I thought it was going to go down to the wire and it pretty much did.

“When it went 6-5 I thought I just need to keep going and I made a 107 break, which was one of the best breaks I have made.

“But then he came back and made it 7-6, but I thought I just need to stick in and I came right back in and potted the black and won.”

Devlin came through a rollercoaster semi-final against Louis Heathcote and had beaten Haney on three previous occasions but the Leyton player was not taking anything for granted.

He said it was an amazing experience to win the championship and wants to remember the special moment.

“This was the best I have felt in my life. My parents came to watch and I shared my win with them,” the teenager said.

“It was just surreal and there was about 50 people watching and when I potted the final black I fist pumped the air and the crowd cheered.

“It was a great atmosphere and it was a quality moment.” This win allows Devlin to compete at the European and the World Championships.

The teenager practices for up to six hours a day at Legends in Leytonstone and thanked his coach Ziya Durak at the club for his commitment to him as a player.

“I think my success is down to a bit of enjoyment and determination as I know it is what I want to do,” he said.

“I have to give a massive thanks to Ziya as it is down to him that I have achieved this much.

“The facilities he has allowed me to use in the club are great and he has just gave me a lot of help along the way.”

Being a 19-year-old and committing most of your time to snooker can be challenging, but thanks to the help he has had it has made him appreciative and passionate about the sport.

Devlin said: “It can be tiring practicing six hours every day and it can get repetitive but I know what to do to be able to better my style of play.

“It is all down to having great help and the backing of my family.”

Looking ahead to his next competition, if the Leyton prodigy plays to his best ability he can continue to thrive on the road to being a professional snooker player.

However, he said he is not fazed by the challenge and cannot wait to take part in the championships.

He said: “If I did not win in the final I would have been back to square one as you need to win to be able to progress.

“But now I can play all over the world because of that win and that is my aim to go over and play well and take it from there.

“It will be good to play against players not only the best from England but from everywhere.”

Devlin joins players including O’Sullivan and Wilson, who won the under-21 title four years ago, in this category and said it is great to be able to follow in their footsteps.

“It is a great feeling and it changes a lot,” he added.

“But there are more than just those who have won the title and went on to do great in the sport.

“This title is the biggest title in the whole championship year in England – it just puts you on a pedestal so to speak.

“I basically want to turn the haters into appreciators for the sport and for all the players.”