Ronnie O'Sullivan makes 'fearless' Stephen Hendry remark - 'It doesn't matter what you do'

Ronnie O'Sullivan has paid a glowing tribute to , likening the Scot's revolutionary impact on to that of sporting icons like and . Speaking to former footballer Ally McCoist on , said Hendry was "fearless" and that his unprecedented style reshaped the game.

"My first hero was Steve Davis. I modelled my game on him as a kid, just watching him on TV," O'Sullivan revealed. "Then obviously Stephen Hendry came along and blew it all apart. A bit like Tiger Woods and Usain Bolt did. He just played a different game. So we all had to follow his way of playing if you wanted to become a winner and a champion.

"Hendry was just fearless, you know? He didn't have any safety game. He didn't need it, he was that good," O'Sullivan, 49, continued. "Hendry's mindset was, 'if it's the first to 10, I'm going to make 10 80-breaks - so it doesn't matter what you do'.

"That confidence in himself to just clear the table, and that obviously puts a lot of fear into your opponent. Then you start getting easy chances left because of the pressure your opponent's under."

Hendry's aggressive, all-or-nothing style marked a seismic shift from the more cautious, tactical play of predecessors like Davis, who relied on steady breaks and safety to outmanoeuvre opponents. "Davis would make a 50 or a 40, play it safe, and that was enough at that time," O'Sullivan explained. "But when Hendry came along, it wasn't enough."

As O'Sullivan, 49, prepares for the , he stands on the cusp of history. With seven world titles, he is level with 56-year-old Hendry's record, and one more triumph at the Crucible would see him become the undisputed greatest of the modern era in terms of world crowns.

That said, the Rocket rejected the notion that he had the same mind-rattling effect on opponents that Hendry had in his prime. "No, I don't think so. I don't think I've ever been the most confident," he told McCoist.

"I know I've got ability and I know that if I play good when I'm out there, I feel confident, but in the build-up, I have a lot of self-doubt. At no point did I think 'I've got this, I'm the man to beat'. I never, ever thought that."

He added: "As a kid, I was very confident and had a lot of self-belief in my technique. It was so rock-solid that I used to wake up and think, 'I'm going to be nine out of 10 today'. Then as I got later into my career, I got a lot of bad habits."

O'Sullivan remains a formidable force, but his recent form has left a lot to be desired. He's managed just one win in his last nine matches and has openly admitted to battling a crisis of confidence. Adding to the uncertainty, he has yet to confirm his participation in this month's World Championship, having already withdrawn from several tournaments this year.

But as the Crucible draws near, the stage is set for O'Sullivan to write another compelling chapter in his legendary career - perhaps one that finally casts Hendry's legacy into his shadow.