"A sport on the rise"

Johnson won snooker''s top prize in 1986 as a 150-1 outsider, beating then-world number one Steve Davis (pictured) 18-12 in the final.

The Bradford-born star competed in an era when stars like Davies, Jimmy White, Dennis Taylor and Alex Higgins were at their peak.

But Johnson told eurosport.com that he feels the standard has improved dramatically over the last decade.

"I can't think of a sport that hasn't got better with time, and that has happened with snooker as well. The standard now is much higher than it was in my day.

"With so many great players around these days, it is almost impossible to pick the winner of a competition.

"It could come down to something as minor as whose tip is in the best condition. The margin might be as fine as that.

"The game has grown enormously since my day, and without a shadow of a doubt that is a good thing."

Johnson, currently in York preparing to commentate for Eurosport on the UK Championship, added that the sport was finally seeing success after years of trying to spread the game around the globe.

"We have been trying to take snooker in to other countries for years, but it looks like now it is starting to pay off.

"I remember just after I won the World Championship in 1986, the top eight went to China to play in an exhibition tournament.

"On the first night, no-one came to watch. There were only the eight players and the referee in an empty arena.

"But the second night, the place was jammed with 6,000 people, all because we had been on television the night before.

"So we always knew it would take off in China, it was just a matter of time. Whatever the Chinese do, they tend to do it well. They really throw themselves in to it, put their mind to it and practice hard.

"I think the game is definitely going in the right direction. World Snooker has got people on board that have given them a credibility that they have lacked in the past.

"And it has been proved over the last couple of years, with several new sponsors in new countries and new markets. I would be delighted if they could continue to spread the game around the world."