The 23 best snooker players ever as Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Stephen Hendry debate settled

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Express Sport counts down the best players in snooker history.

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry have 14 world titles between them (Image: Getty)

Snooker has provided some of sport's most iconic moments over the last 50 years. The sport reached its peak in the 1980s when, with blanket TV coverage, it rivalled football for popularity. Snooker remains much loved amongst its ardent fanbase and millions will tune in around the world when the first Triple Crown event of the season, the UK Championship, begins later this month. The debate over who is the best of all time is both fun and impossible to answer. That hasn't stopped Express Sport from going back through the decades to compile a list of the 23 best snooker players of all time. The list isn't just ranked on pure ability and success but on the impact these players had on the sport…

23. Ken Doherty

The Darling of Dublin is the only player to win the World Championship at amateur, under-21 and professional levels. Capturing the 1997 Crucible crown by defeating Stephen Hendry in the final, Doherty won six ranking titles and earned widespread respect for his tactical acumen and gutsy break-building. (Image: Getty)

22. John Pulman

The dominant figure of the 1960s, Pulman (pictured with Alex Higgins) won eight World Championships between 1957 and 1968, thriving during the era when the title was contested via challenge matches. Blessed with one of the purest, most orthodox cue actions in the sport's history, he helped keep snooker alive during its leanest commercial years. (Image: Getty)

21. Dennis Taylor

Forever immortalised by his dramatic final-black victory over Steve Davis in the 1985 World Championship final - watched by 18.5 million UK viewers - Taylor was also a two-time ranking winner and 1987 Masters champion. His oversized glasses and trademark resilience made him an icon of 80s sport. (Image: Getty)

20. Terry Griffiths

One of the game's greatest tacticians, Griffiths famously won the 1979 World Championship on his Crucible debut as a qualifier. The Welshman went on to complete the career Triple Crown and reach at least the Crucible quarter-finals for nine consecutive years. He later became one of the sport's most influential coaches. (Image: Getty)

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