Arguably the greatest snooker player in the sport’s modern era, Ronnie O’Sullivan, who turns 41 today, is still going strong.

A child snooker prodigy who made his first century break when he was just 10 years old, O’Sullivan has made a name for himself in a sport he often treats with ambivalence.

He had taken long breaks from competing and even says he wishes his father never introduced him to snooker to begin with.

Yet being in love with your sport doesn’t seem to be a prerequisite for O’Sullivan, whose remarkable record in Triple Crown events stands at five World Championship, six Masters, and five UK Championship titles.

Nicknamed ‘The Rocket’ for his rapid playing style, the Brit describes himself as a “hyper- disciplined monster”. He was awarded an OBE in the New Year honours last December.

Other sport stars born on December 5.

1970: Matt Horne, New Zealand cricketer, who played in 35 Tests and 50 ODIs from 1997 to 2003 (46).

1985: Josh Smith, American basketball player, who spent nine seasons with the Atlanta Hawks (31).

1988: Joanna Rowsell Shand, British cyclist, who has two Olympic gold medals in team pursuit (28).

1995: Anthony Martial, French footballer, who plays as a forward for Manchester Untied and France (21).