JOHN HIGGINS is considered one of the best snooker players to ever grace the game. But in his younger days, the Wizard of Wishaw wasn’t even the best player in his own family.

That’s according to the man himself who has previously admitted that his brother Jason had the bragging rights on the baize when they were youngsters.

Higgins, 49, was part of the iconic Class of 92′, turning professional that year alongside fellow greats Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Williams. The Scot has gone on to win 31 ranking titles – making him third in the all-time list of ranking event winners.

Only O’Sullivan and fellow countryman Stephen Hendry have won more, with the pair taking home 41 and 36 respectively. Four of those 31 titles were world titles as Higgins took home the most prestigious trophy at the crucible in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

But the 49-year-old once believed it would be his older brother who would end up being the snooker icon after he enjoyed a successful amateur career when he was a teenager. Speaking to Hendry in the King of the Crucible’s YouTube show, Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips, Higgins revealed just how good his brother Jason was all those years ago.

Hendry brought up Higgins’ brother and asked his snooker pal if Jason was the better player when they were young. Higgins replied: “Yes, yes (he was better). “Jason was about three years older than me. Roughly when I was ten he was 13.

Jason Higgins might have never gone on to make an appearance as a player at the crucible like his brother. But he did grab the headlines in Sheffield while watching on as a spectator one year when John was playing.

In 2019, the Wizard of Wishaw was forced to attend a local hospital in Sheffield midway through his first round clash with Mark Davis after Jason suffered a fractured kneecap when leaving the venue. His brother required treatment from paramedics after falling down the stairs and was rushed to hospital shortly afterwards.

John also left the venue to be there by his side before later returning to the Cruicible to win the match 10-7. Opening up on the ordeal at the time, Higgins said: “He fractured his kneecap so he needs to go back home and try to get an operation tomorrow.

“He’s in quite a lot of pain. It is a freak accident, and just the way these things happen. “I spent six or seven hours at the hospital last night. He’ll be out of commission for a couple of months. Just a freak accident. He was coming down off the last step and his trainer stuck on the step.

“The full force has went onto his kneecap so he’s fractured that. We’ll need to get him back up the road to get it looked at. “Fracturing your kneecap obviously is serious, he can’t move.”