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Ronnie O'Sullivan: Luis Suarez will benefit from Dr Steve Peters's help

Last updated on .From the section Sportcomments181

Ronnie O'Sullivan

Snooker world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan says he has sympathy with Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and can understand his "moment of madness".

O'Sullivan, 37, has been working with Dr Steve Peters and believes the sports psychiatrist can help the Uruguayan.

Suarez, 26, was banned for 10 games for biting Branislav Ivanovic - an incident O'Sullivan compares with his decision to quit a game with Stephen Hendry.

"I understand what Suarez did - I totally get it," said O'Sullivan.

"It's a moment of madness and you think, 'Wow, what have I done?' It's like me walking out against Hendry. You regret it afterwards, but at that moment you are over-run by these emotions."

O'Sullivan was fined £20,000 after quitting in the sixth frame while trailing 4-1 in a best-of-17-frame UK Championship quarter-final against Hendry in December 2006.

But O'Sullivan, who struggled to stay focused in long matches earlier in his career, began working with Peters in 2011 and went on to win the 2012 World Snooker Championship, his fourth Crucible success.

Luis suarez
Luis Suarez was banned for biting Branislav Ivanovic

Now in the quarter-finals in his first major tournament after taking time away from the sport following last year's world title victory, O'Sullivan credits Peters for making him mentally stronger.

"Dr Steve Peters has been great to me," added O'Sullivan. "I've really worked hard with Steve and tried to take on board everything he's shown me and spoken to me about and I'm benefiting from it massively.

"Ever since I first saw him, before the 2011 World Championship, for the whole year leading up to winning the World Championship last year, I worked really hard on trying to get hold of my emotions and my brain.

"Not once have you been able to see me lose the plot. Sometimes inside I feel it's tough and it's challenging, but I'm able to overcome that."

Dr Steve Peters
Dr Steve Peters has also worked with British Cycling

He insisted he would never walk out on a match again, adding: "None of those meltdowns will happen, no matter how frustrated I may be with myself out there. I'm able to put that on hold until the game's finished."

With Suarez banned until the end of September, O'Sullivan believes Liverpool and Peters, who has already been working with the Premier League club, will be able to help the Uruguayan control his temper when he returns to action.

"It's not a quick fix with Steve, but if Liverpool stick with him and Brendan Rodgers they'll win the title," said O'Sullivan. "If Liverpool can have Steve there for four or five years, then they'll win the Premier League."

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181 comments

  • Comment posted by U15359323, at 13:50 1 May 2013

    I understand the frustration at "yet another Suarez article" but of all of them this is the best. An established professional sports icon, who has had his share of difficulties, giving a genuine, constructive solution.

    @20 I'm so sick of "If I bit someone at work I'd be fired". If I put in a two footed tackle at work I'd be fired too. It's a different world.

  • Comment posted by U14682702, at 12:18 1 May 2013

    This guy has been thru the mill & knows what he talking about.

  • Comment posted by DanWhittingham, at 12:55 1 May 2013

    @9 - what a brainlessly insensitive comment. Say what you like about Suarez's bite, but there's nothing pathetic in O'Sullivan beating back depression to become a world champion. Spreading the myth that depression is something to 'help yourself' with only makes it more dangerous - there is help out there and anyone suffering with depression should absolutely be encouraged to take that help!

  • Comment posted by U15312532, at 12:53 1 May 2013

    Ronnie bites Ebdon for taking too long!! Please,please make it happen!!!!

  • Comment posted by U15701903, at 14:02 1 May 2013

    Suarez is getting psychological help. Long overdue but if he comes back the same player with a better attitude, then I can't help but want him to succeed.

    Yes he is hated now, but we have all been in that position at some point in our lives. I for one, hope he comes back a better person and as good a player as he was. Because facing him was always difficult, as he is a player of top quality

  • Comment posted by BearMcRowdy, at 13:20 1 May 2013

    @23 Absolutely right. As someone that suffered years ago with depression (and it is always there lurking if ever things got bad again), depression is massively misunderstood. Totally debilitating. My cousin is suffering from it atm and her family are acting like she should 'just get over it'. A lot of families around the world have taken that stance only to see their loved take their own life

  • Comment posted by RedIsaac, at 12:15 1 May 2013

    Ronnie, I think you make a very good point. Let's hope Suarez follows your advice.

  • Comment posted by King Red, at 13:19 1 May 2013

    "It's not a quick fix with Steve, but if Liverpool stick with him and Brendan Rodgers they'll win the title," said O'Sullivan. "If Liverpool can have Steve there for four or five years, then they'll win the Premier League."


    He must be some player as well as a great sports psychiatrist!!!

  • Comment posted by JimmyLiveAtBBC, at 12:23 1 May 2013

    If a lower league player suffers a career threatening injury no one gives a monkeys. Some Premier League superstar bites a fellow player and people are falling over themselves to "help" him.

  • Comment posted by Jeff, at 20:12 1 May 2013

    @100

    One can tell from your grammar and your style of writing that you are no sports psychologist? People that 'pretend' on the internet are a little creepy.

    I think O'Sullivan's comments are great. One has to be a peace with themselves to consider the plight of others, so it shows how much he has come on over the past couple of years.

  • Comment posted by 99dndd, at 13:14 2 May 2013

    I imagine Ronnie O'Sullivan's psychiatrist is a bit busy at the moment.

  • Comment posted by mopeysky, at 12:07 2 May 2013

    Couldn't hurt to have the fella have a chat with Suarez. It's obvious by his behaviour, he has 'issues' which need addressing.
    It's just a shame there are so many neanderthals out there who would rather hang some one than help them.

  • Comment posted by Killingholme_Clay , at 09:11 2 May 2013

    I wonder if O'Sullivan's trick cyclist could help the BBC past their juvenile obsession with being a Man Utd fan club magazine?

  • Comment posted by U14966550, at 17:55 1 May 2013

    Full recommendation of comments 23 and 30. I've suffered from severe depression in my time and I've been fortunate (I guess) that both of my parents have also suffered from it. It's not the same thing as "being depressed," and it's not something that can always be triggered. There's a lazy paradigm in place in this country and the US when it comes to mental illness. O'Sullivan is a role model.

  • Comment posted by U6790938, at 14:22 1 May 2013

    Master of Nothing That was an interesting, insightful and above all all accurate comment, well not really.

  • Comment posted by Heethster, at 14:03 1 May 2013

    Suarez is a top player and Liverpool are a top club. Any other top player/topclub combo would have had teh same effect on coverage. That being said, Ronny is right - it was a moment of madness - uttterly unpremeditated, so an act of crazyness. His head is not right. Banning Suarez doesn't cure his illness.

  • Comment posted by Anfield77, at 13:43 1 May 2013

    38. Crap lad, that was jumped on by other fans before liverpool fans had chance to comment. Everybody agrees he should be banned there's nothing wrong with questioning the consistency of the FA which there's clearly not much of.

  • Comment posted by U14389261, at 16:29 2 May 2013

    "Suarez's frustrations stem from his playing for a team that isn't challenging for trophies......the only way he will stop this behaviour is if he joins a winning club. But can you imagine any of the top European clubs wanting to take on such a liability"

    Er.......but according to you surely he wouldn't be a liability if he was at a winning club..?

  • Comment posted by Seqenenre, at 13:28 2 May 2013

    Who's Ronnie bitten then?

  • Comment posted by U13734461, at 11:31 2 May 2013

    Just has a chat with my dentist, he's up for it.

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