World Snooker Championship: 'Career will be a disappointment if I don't win world title' - Allen

Mark Allen says that his career will have been "a disappointment" if he does not win the World Snooker Championship.

The Northern Irishman has racked up 20 titles as a professional, including 11 ranking events, but has yet to collect the biggest prize in the sport.

He begins his campaign for the 2024 title at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on Tuesday 23 April.

"I've won UK Championship and The Masters, two other majors, but you turn pro to win the worlds," said Allen.

"I'll see it as disappointing if I don't win a world title. More than anything that's what I want to do.

"You dream as a young kid starting out to be world champion, having that final black to win a world title. That dream is still there and I believe I have got a good chance," the world number three told BBC Sport NI.

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Allen has added a second Champion of Champions crown, a victory in the Shootout and a success in the Players Championship to his career CV in the season which is now reaching a conclusion in Sheffield.

"I don't know that I've been playing my best snooker but I'm winning more matches and more tournaments than I've ever done," reflected the 38-year-old twice former world semi-finalist.

"Form comes and goes but as long as I can keep grinding out results when I'm not at my best, then whenever good form comes then winning becomes a bit easier.

"The Champion of Champions this year, that's one of the more comfortable tournament wins I've had and I played really well all that week, but I've still won two other tournaments when I didn't play all that well.

"I can mix it up now, I don't have to be at my best but it would be nice to go to Sheffield, play really well and win it comfortably, although it's never that easy.

"When I turned professional all I wanted to do was become world number one and world champion and that hasn't changed.

"100% I'll look at my career as a disappointment if I don't win a world title. I don't mean that to come across in any arrogant way but I turned professional to win a world title."

World title would be 'very special'

Should Allen succeed in winning the ultimate prize he would follow in the footsteps of compatriots Alex Higgins (winner in 1972 and 1982) and Dennis Taylor (the 1985 champion).

"I wasn't born until 1986 so obviously those were a little before my time but I'm a proud Northern Irishman, I know the history of the sport and how much they did for the sport.

"Alex in particular, and Jimmy White, probably carried the sport for a number of years. It would be nice to add myself to that list but given what I've already done in the game I'm well in that conversation already [as the greatest Northern Irish snooker player ever]. I'll just keep doing my best and let others decide.

"To add a world title to that would be very, very special, and to bring that home to Northern Ireland."

The world championship will again be staged at one of the most iconic venues in UK sport, the Crucible Theatre, which has hosted the tournament since 1977.

"It [The Crucible] is very different to any other venue we play at. The crowd are so close, it's one of the smaller arenas that we play in, but the history attached to it just adds to the occasion," said Allen.

"You want to be part of history. People have asked me in the past would you move away from Sheffield? I would because I haven't won there but it would probably be different if you had won there, then you would never want to leave. It's a special, special place."