ELEVEN-year-old Riley Ellis is in the frame to become a snooker star of the future.

The Lydiard Millicent School pupil is already making waves at the 147 Club on Sheppard Street as he is taking the adult league by storm.

Having first got his taste for the sport when he was just five, Riley has quickly developed his skills and after joining the Saturday league for his own age group, he has also taken on the adults, and has been so impressive, he has been leading.

The Clyffe Pypard youngster has also tried his hand at pool, making it to the quarter-final stage of his first competition last month, and has caught the eye of the youth counties pool team.

“I feel very proud of him because he has got a lot of emotions to overcome as an 11-year-old and he has got to switch his brain on and think like an adult when he is playing,” said his mum Jackie Ellis.

“He joined his first adult league back in March and so far, he is leading it all the way through but it is still early days yet.

“We are quite excited and we hope he keeps interest in it for a long time. But if he ever decides it is not for him we would never push him.

“I can see his confidence growing, which is really good, and we have just got to roll with it and see what happens.”

Despite Riley’s mum having played in her twenties, it was during a holiday to Suffolk when the youngster first picked up a cue and he hasn’t looked back.

“We were on holiday at a friend’s house in Ipswich when he was about five and they gave him a mini pool table, a really tiny one-foot size one,” added Jackie.

“He brought it home and he was potting balls all over the place on this little thing so I said to my mum at Christmas that we could buy him a cue and we would get him into a snooker club to see if he enjoys it.

“We did some research and the 147 Club were absolutely fantastic.

“We bought him six taster sessions and he went every Saturday. I think that was over three years ago and he hasn’t left since.”

Riley is now hoping to progress in the sport but his family are aware that the further he gets, the more expense it will bring and are looking for a sponsor to help with the financial burden.

“He would love to make it as far as he could,” said Jackie. “He pretty much begs me six days a week to take him there - everybody at the club is absolutely fantastic.

“I couldn’t thank them any more because they all encourage him and take him under their wings and look after him and give him really good tips.

“Some people were really enthusiastic while others are jokingly saying they are even getting worried about playing him.”