World ranking: 25
Last five seasons: 23-22-15-9-8
Date of birth: 03-05-66
Lives: Fleur de Lys, Newport
Turned professional: 1988
Ranking tournament victories: 0
Last season’s prize money: £49,575
Career prize money: £833,810
Highest tournament break: 143

World amateur champion in 1987, Darren Morgan won his first major title as a professional in 1996 when he defeated Steve Davis 9-8 in the final of the Benson and Hedges Irish Masters at Goffs, County Kildare.

He made a bold bid to retain his crown 12 months later, when he met Stephen Hendry in the final, but missed a pink with the rest at a crucial stage in the deciding frame and could only watch his opponent clear the colours to win 9-8 on the black.

The last player to win the Regal Welsh professional championship in 1991, Morgan has reached the final of two world ranking tournaments.

He was beaten 9-3 by Hendry in the 1992 Regal Welsh and 9-3 by Dave Harold in the 1993 Asian Open.

He made his debut in the Embassy World Championship in 1989 and reached the televised stage after beating two-times former world champion Alex Higgins in the final qualifying round.

His best performance at Sheffield came in 1994 when he made it through to the semi-finals before going down 16-8 to Jimmy White.

Perhaps Morgan’s proudest moment though came in 1999 when he captained the Welsh dragons to victory over Scotland in the final of the Nations Cup.