Back in those days I’d give Steven a head start of 10 grams of cocaine and four bottles of Jack Daniels! WHITE ON HIS WILD DAYS AND PAIN OF THOSE WORLD FINAL DEFEATS TO HENDRY

JIMMY WHITE admits another clash with Crucible nemesis Stephen Hendry has brought memories of agonies on the table, and a wild lifestyle off it, flooding back.

Seven-time world champion Hendry, 52, has emerged from retirement this year after nine years away from the game.

Both White, 58, and Hendry are desperate to secure a return to snooker’s iconic venue and have been drawn together in the first round of Betfred World Championship qualifying.

And reflecting on their great rivalry former party animal and ‘People’s Champion’ White also recalls a period when drink, drugs and gambling threatened to destroy him.

White said: “I have beaten Stephen in the World Championship a couple of times, but unfortunately they aren’t the ones everyone talks about.

“I lost the four finals to him, but in those days I was giving him a head start of about 10 grams of cocaine and four bottles of Jack Daniels.

“We have had so many battles not only at the World Championship, but throughout our careers. And to draw each other at this stage of our careers is very bizarre. I came very close in two of the finals against him to winning that world title. In 1992 I was 14-8 up, getting my winning speech ready, but lost the next 10 frames.

“And then in 1994 I twitched a black in the decider at 17-17. But it is what it is, and I might not have been here if I had won the World Championship the way I was.”

Either player would need to win four matches to get back to the Crucible. Hendry’s last appearance was in 2012, while White has not got there since 2006.

But the Londoner’s head is still spinning that fate has taken a hand, and given him a chance of some revenge so late in his career.

He added: “I didn’t even see the draw announced on TV this week, or see it in any email.

“I had just finished practising, turned my phone on and I saw that I had two missed calls from Stephen.

“That on its own wasn’t too strange because we had been practising together recently. But I started thinking he wouldn’t call me twice so quickly like that to arrange a session.

“So I started to suspect what might have happened. I called him back and he said ‘Can you believe that?’ and then I knew. It is absolutely bizarre, something from the snooker gods for sure.”