Meet the Tredegar teenager who is already taking the snooker world by storm

Riley Powell from Tredegar knocked out five-time event winner, Kyren Wilson in the Shoot Out last month, in his first senior competition and he is hoping to one day become a World Champion. 

The 14-year-old started playing snooker when he was seven years old at his local club in Tredegar and remembers having to wear special polystyrene shoes to even reach the table. 

"I was seven when I started, I couldn't reach the table, that's why I had to have special shoes and had to stand on baskets. I started potting a few balls and I just fell in love with the game."

Tredegar is an area steeped in snooker history. 

Some of the game's most decorated players such as Ray Reardon and Cliff Wilson come from the town and Mark Williams and Jackson Page were also brought up on snooker in nearby Cwm and Ebbw Vale. 

Riley was just seven when he started playing and even had to wear "special shoes" so he could reach the table Credit: Family photo

Three time World Snooker Champion Mark Williams, who owns the club where Riley plays, told ITV Wales the teenager is a rising star.

Mark Williams says: "He has huge potential.  He's just played live on the tv against Kyren Wilson and he's beaten him.  He'll get huge confidence from that.  And the more he plays and practises with the likes of me, then he's only going to improve. The way he's going, he'll be one to watch"

Riley practices at the club for up to 40 hours a week and has played in tournaments all over the world including Portugal, Romania, and Albania.

His parents, Stephen and Emma, support him every step of the way and say they cannot believe how well he is doing for his age. 

Emma Powell says: "It's breathtaking. I didn't expect him, especially at the age of 14, to be as good as he is.  We're extremely proud and when I saw him on tele for the first time, I couldn't even speak, there were no words, we're just over the moon for him."

Three times world champion Mark Williams owns the club where Riley practices Credit: PA

Riley hopes all the hard work and hours of practice will pay off as he has ambitions to become a world champion. 

"I wanna be world champion, win as many tournaments as I can , I want to be world number one", he says.

In March, Riley is off to Malta with his family to represent Wales at the European youth championships.