A dream come true for snooker star Harvey as he joins professional ranks

The Raunds cueman claimed prestigious EBSA European Championship title in Sofia, a victory that has earned him a two-year card to compete on the World Snooker Tour, starting from next season.

The 22-year-old has been a big prospect for a number of years and has finally hit the big time after he beat Jordan Brown 7-2 in the final of the top amateur competition, with top breaks of 85 and 62 along the way.

Chandler has also earned a place in the qualifiers for this year’s Ladbrokes World Championship in April.

He will now follow in the footsteps of professional stars Peter Ebdon, Shaun Murphy, Rory McLeod and Kettering’s Kyren Wilson, who all started out in Northamptonshire.

And Chandler, who revealed he quit the game for three years when he was 16 to get a job, was left somewhat stunned after a whirlwind weekend.

“I still can’t believe it,” he said.

“This is something I have been dreaming about and working towards for years and years.

“I quit playing when I was 16 for about three years because I couldn’t get a sponsor.

“I played in junior competitions up until I was 16 but then I got a job so I was still playing a bit but not in anything too serious.

“But I was fortunate to get a call last year with the offer of some sponsorship, a contract was laid out and I just went from there.

“I have literally gone from packing boxes to now having the chance to play as a professional and on the television and be part of everything that comes with that.”

Chandler will compete in the World Championship Qualifiers in Sheffield in April in a bid to secure a place at the main event later that month before joining the World Tour, which gets under way again in July.