World ranking: 16
Last five seasons: 28-36-22-17-19
Date of birth: 29-08-69
Lives: Failsworth, Manchester
Turned professional: 1991
Ranking tournament victories: 0
Last season’s prize money: £114,735
Career prize money: £474,507
Highest tournament break: 141

The man nicknamed ‘The Outlaw’ was just an ordinary Joe until the 2000 Embassy World Championship, when he captured the hearts of the public.

Northern Ireland’s Nations Cup captain had, by his own admission, wasted much of his talent but the death of his mother two years previously had a galvanising effect.

A 10-6 first-round winner over Paul Hunter, Swail came from four frames down with five to play to beat 1991 world champion John Parrott 13-12 and then shed tears of joy.

A 13-9 victory over Dominic Dale propelled him through to the semi-finals and although his fairy-tale run was ended 17-12 by Matthew Stevens, Swail could rightly be proud of his achievements.

His heroics also enabled him to become the first player to regain his top 16 place after dropping out of the 32.

“My mum helped me turn things around as she wanted me to do very well in snooker.

"I felt I owed it to her to get my head down and get back to the way I used to play,” explained Swail, who is 40 per cent deaf in both ears.

“My lifestyle had to change - some of the thing you wouldn’t believe.

"I would be in nightclubs and places - it was just a joke - the kind of thing a young kid would do.

"Now I’m getting up at 9am to practice, which was the time I used to be rolling in!”

Swail picked up a cheque for £70,000 - by far the highest of his 11-year professional career - and also received an Embassy Special Award for his resurgence in the rankings.

Yet it could all have been so different.

He looked certain to miss out on the Crucible when he trailed young Scot Stephen Maguire 9-6 in the final qualifying round at Preston.

But he regained his composure and rattled off the final four frames.

It was the fourth time Swail had qualified for the final stage of the world championship and his fifth ranking event semi-final.

He also helped Northern Ireland reach the quarter-finals of the 1996 Castrol-Honda World Cup, where they went out 10-6 to eventual winners Scotland.