Despite losing, 17-year-old snooker prodigy Stan Moody received compliments from the great Ronnie O’Sullivan and was likened to another contemporary snooker star.
When Ronnie O’Sullivan mentioned the snooker starlet Stan Moody’s lookalike, he couldn’t stop giggling.
Since first making an impression on the stage in early 2022, when he won a match at the Snooker Shoot Out at the age of 15, Moody, 17, has taken the sport by storm. With a victory in the WSF Junior Snooker Championship, he advanced even farther and was awarded a two-year spot on the World Snooker Tour.
Despite his struggles in his first professional season, the West Yorkshireman lost to the seasoned Dominic Dale in this week’s Welsh Open. However, O’Sullivan—the all-time great of the sport—drew attention to his likeness to another prominent snooker player today.
As a pundit for Europsport in Llandudno, O’Sullivan offered his opinion, drawing parallels between Moody and 41-year-old Shaun Murphy’s playing style and facial features. And in the process, The Rocket couldn’t stop laughing.
Speaking about the world No. 112, O’Sullivan remarked, “It’s fantastic, he looks like Shaun Murphy, just 25 years younger! He also has Shaun Murphy’s playing style. How he stomps across the table and strikes the ball with such force. He exudes confidence, which is wonderful to watch.
Others expressed agreement on social media, with one fan on X saying, “He’s not far wrong,” and another making a joke, “That is definitely Shaun Murphy’s son.”
“Mini Murphy,” remarked a third, while a fourth commented, “Every time I see Stan Moody, I think of a ‘Benjamin Button’ Shaun Murphy scenario.”
After falling to Dale 4-1, Moody maintained his optimistic demeanor in the interview. And the world’s top player praised his approach one more.
O’Sullivan went on, “You can see he really just loves the game and has an amazing temperament for it, especially at such a young age, coming here and enjoying his snooker.” You just get the feeling that even if he did find it difficult [to compete in the future], he would still enjoy the game.
