London: Stephen Hendry, widely recognised as the greatest-ever snooker player, has announced his retirement from his glittering professional career.

The seven-time world champion made the announcement at a press conference after a 13-2 defeat to Stephen Maguire in the quarter finals of the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre on Tuesday.

“I made the decision about three months ago, I didn’t tell many people. I only told two or three people but this is me finished in tournament snooker,” said the 43-year-old Scott.

“It was quite an easy decision, there’re a few reasons which I’m not going to go into in detail and bore you with. The schedule didn’t help, the fact that I’m not playing the snooker I want to play doesn’t help, the fact I don’t enjoy practice doesn’t help,” said Hendry.

Hendry’s crowning achievement was not his astonishing total of 775 century breaks, or the 11 maximums, including three at the Crucible, but his seven world titles, one more than Steve Davis, his predecessor as top dog.

“I am never content,” Hendry said. “People say that the modern game is such that no one person can dominate. That is nonsense. Players are too satisfied with what they have done, they do not hunger... For Steve (Davis) and me, snooker is our whole life.”