RONNIE O’Sullivan has taken inspiration from Usain Bolt as he enters the new decade with a new approach to his snooker.

The ‘Rocket’, like Jamaican sprinter Bolt, has no peers in his sport, but his drive for perfection has contributed to the psychological demons the 34- year-old has needed to deal with since turning professional in the early 1990s.

After threatening to quit the sport on several occasions, O’- Sullivan’s love for snooker is well and truly alive, albeit with an emphasis on entertaining rather than crushing all opponents.

‘‘Usain Bolt has proved you don’t have to be so intense about everything you do,’’ said O’Sullivan. ‘‘You can make things fun and still break world records and be the best at what you do in the world.

‘‘I think I’ve performed my best when I’ve had that attitude.’’ O’Sullivan will start the defence of his Masters title at Wembley next week when his fresh approach will form an interesting sub-plot.

So will O’Sullivan’s equipment, if he decides to use the purple cue that sponsors Premier Inn have provided him.

They have also promised to give away 147 hotel rooms if he records a maximum.

With challenges like that – and the arrival of Barry Hearn as the new chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association – O’- Sullivan sees at least five more years at the top.

‘‘For the next few years I’ve accepted I might not be the dominant force that I’ve always wanted to be,’’ he said.

‘‘My game is not in the best of shapes but I’ve been able to find some level of peace within that, within myself.

‘‘I’ve had to find a way of thinking in the next five or six years, on my day I’m capable of beating anyone. When they come, enjoy them and make the most of them. That’s how I’ve looked at my next five-year plan.

‘‘I’ve managed it and that is the important thing. Manage my time on the practice table and how much I get out of the matches.

‘‘Sometimes it’s nice to get the balance when it’s not totally consuming my life when I’m playing all the hours under the sun. But I’m playing enough to be competitive. On any given day or tournament I know I’m good enough to win.’’ His love for snooker was evident at a snooker academy in Romford, where he even spent time on the table giving a masterclass to journalists.

He was keen to stress that, despite his new philosophy, he is hungry to win.

‘‘Rankings are important and it’s important to be winning,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t want anyone to think I’m going soft.

That is not the case.

‘‘I always want to be the best but if frustration gives way to that then you’re not getting the best out of yourself.”