Daniel Wells hits back at Ronnie O'Sullivan over 'upsetting' remarks
Speaking after his shock 4-2 win over Masters champion Judd Trump in the Welsh Open this week, Wells was keen to set the record straight and let the world number one know his comments did not go unnoticed.
"It was quite upsetting to hear someone who's been one of my heroes saying those things about me," Wells told the BBC.
"There's a lot of talk about mental health in sport and comments like these are really tough to take for people.
"I'm quite strong as a person and I'll deal with it but other people might not be as strong."
O'Sullivan had previously told Eurosport before Wells' match against Trump that Wells was "never going to be a tournament winner."
"He's just not good enough. He should just stay as a part-time player.
"Irrelevant of how well he does - the pressure is off him. Next year if he gets a main tour card and invests totally in snooker I bet he goes back to getting beaten and not enjoying it again.
"There's a lot of players on tour who can't mentally sustain it. If I was advising him I'd tell him to stay as a part-time player - you're having fun and enjoying it. That's the way he's going to play his best snooker."
Wells has faced a difficult time in recent years, losing his place on the professional tour in 2021 after being one of the first players to test positive for Covid.
As a result, the Welshman was forced to find part-time work in order to make ends meet - including cleaning toilets during the pandemic.
"I missed a few events. I was ranked 52 in the world just before the pandemic. The pandemic really did affect me and sadly I fell off the tour," he said.
"Toilets were part of the job unfortunately. I wish I could have avoided them but I had to pay my bills and earn a living for my family.
"But snooker's always been my main focus."
As well as his recent triumph over Trump to reach the Welsh Open last 16, the 34-year-old also recently claimed wins against the likes of John Higgins, Joe Perry and Gary Wilson - and reached the semi-finals of last month's Shoot Out tournament.
Such is his form, it's likely he will return to the professional tour circuit at the start of next season.
