A FORMER youth pool superstar is turning professional to take on the current world champion at this year’s Ultimate Pool tour.

Josh Juhasz, 36, from Grimethorpe, was covered in the Chronicle when he became an under-18s European champion for a second time.

Yet it’s only now that the eight-ball player will turn pro as he is set to play in the TNT Sports-televised tournament in April.

When I was young I watched my dad play pool at a pub in Cudworth and after that just wanted to go out and play,” he told the Chronicle.

“I joined the youth academy at Miscues - back then I never wanted anything to come of it, I just enjoyed it.”

Over the years Josh became a skilled player, and after winning plenty of amateur competitions it became clear to him that his dream was to turn pro.

“Ultimate Pool keeps getting bigger and bigger, a lot like darts,” he added.

“There’s lots of different types of pool - eight-ball English pool is now on TNT and has gone to America.

“I would like to leave my job and do pool full-time.”

It won’t be easy though, as his first match in the tour will be against Ronan McCarthy, the current world champion.

“In my group there’s the two best Irish players, the two best Scottish players and little old me from Barnsley.

“It’s my first experience at a tournament like this so I want to see how I do.”