A decade on and Darryn Walker is back

Now, he's preparing for the biggest match of his life, taking on a two-time world champion live on television.

Walker faces Welshman Mark Williams at the inaugural World Seniors Championship in March. Needless to say, it's been a rather unexpected turn of events.

"It's crazy," admits the Tettenhall Village-based 42-year-old. "To be playing someone like Mark Williams, live on television, I can't quite compute in my head what has happened.

"To have a game like this, when I had not played in so long, I just can't believe it. I just can't wait until March."

Walker spent 14 years on the baize after turning professional in his late teens.

He got as high as number 65 in the world rankings and won the Austrian Open before opting to hang up his cue in 2004.

"It was tough," he says. "There were nowhere near as many tournaments as there are now so you had 1,000 pros trying to qualify for a handful of events.

"The prize money wasn't that great and I just decided I needed to do something else."

Though he still plays pool professionally, the bedroom designer had stayed away from the game's more illustrious cousin, until fate played a hand.

"My dad passed away earlier this year and one of the lads who I used to play snooker with, socially, came to the funeral," he explained.

"We got talking about the old days and I decided to start playing again down the club, meeting up with him for a beer.

"When I saw there was a qualifying tournament for the World Seniors I thought, why not?

"I wouldn't say I'm playing to a particularly high standard but I did well enough to win four matches to get through to the finals and when I saw the draw, I could barely believe it."

Williams is not the only former world champion set to grace the Blackpool Tower Circus Arena for the 16-man tournament, which takes places over two days.

Six-time Crucible winner Steve Davis has also qualified along with fellow former world champions Dennis Taylor, John Parrott, Cliff Thorburn and Ken Doherty.

Jimmy White and Peter Ebdon are also set to wow the crowds during the event which will feature short matches over the best of just three frames.

And the tournament rules also include a 30-second shot clock designed to speed up play and test the veteran players to their limits.

Alan McManus and Tony Drago are among the famous names who have not managed to make it to the final stage but in facing Williams, who only just qualifies as a senior player, Walker believes he has been handed the toughest draw.

"He's still playing to a good standard on the main tour so I've got my work cut out," he said. "But if I can somehow get past him then I might stand a chance.

"The fact the entire tournament is in three-frame matches gives me a chance and the shot-clock adds that extra variable.

"It's going to take me a long time to work out some of the other differing rules as well.

"It's exciting, it's nerve-wracking and it's really weird but I'm just so looking forward to it."