John Higgins in shock retirement claim with former world champion "ready to slip out of the back door"

John Higgins has revealed that he is gearing up for retirement from professional snooker after admitting he is struggling for motivation to stay at the summit of the sport.

The revered Scotsman has enjoyed a stellar career, capturing four World Snooker Championship titles whilst even reaching the semi-finals of the Crucible showpiece earlier this year.

However, despite that, he says he hasn't got the same appetite for the game that he once had, and believes that an upcoming change to his practise routine will lower his motivation yet further.

Speaking to the Metro's Phil Haigh during this week's British Open event in Cheltenham, Higgins said: "I think it’s hard to get yourself up for playing. That’s what I feel," he said.

"Even the other boys in the unit [where he practises with Stephen Maguire and Anthony McGill], we’re giving that up this year, because they’ve got different things going on as well.

"Snooker’s maybe not their number one priority when we’re getting older. So, I’ll be going back into the house [to practise], and I think that’s when it could be tough.

"I think it’ll be hard to play a lot of events and then just shut it right off. I think it might help to taper off. If I’m not playing so many events, see how I’m feeling, but I’ll probably take it [retirement] better.

I think it’ll be the next couple of years [retirement]. I think so. Obviously Ronnie says he’s thinking about going around 2028, so I’ll just slip out the back door.

- John Higgins (The Metro)

The Wizard of Wilshaw continues his quest for glory in Cheltenham on Thursday afternoon when he takes on Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon in the last 32 of the event.

The 51-year-old just about held his nerve to see off Noppon Saengkham in his opening match on Wednesday and is now hoping to avoid another potential banana skin against the Thai to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.

Whilst the veteran star continues to challenge for major ranking titles, he is having to juggle the competitions in which he does play in just to help fuel his own fire.

"It’s just difficult putting the work in, I won't lie," he went on to say.

"But we’re lucky we’ve got so many tournaments. That substitutes practice. If there was only six or seven tournaments throughout the whole season, I think I could drop that stone.’

"I’m not playing in the English, and my thought process now is, I’ll play in so many events and then in the next maybe two years, I’ll just retire.

"It’s tough because I don’t want to start coming to tournaments and hating the competing side, because that’s what I’ve always enjoyed.

"There has to come a point, I think, that you’ve got to say enough is enough. I think subconsciously I will know that and I’m getting to a stage where I could be near the end."