John Higgins Has Made His Feelings Clear on Stephen Lee's Return to Snooker

John Higgins has made his feelings clear on Stephen Lee's return to snooker after the expiry of his ban from the sport.

After a 12-year ban for match-fixing, Lee made his comeback earlier this year in an exhibition clash against former world number three James Wattana.

In 2013, Lee was found guilty of influencing the outcome of seven professional matches that took place between 2008 and 2009. He was also found to have 'accepted payment to influence the outcome of a match' on seven occasions.

One of those matches was at the 2009 World Snooker Championship, where he lost 10-4 to Ryan Day.

Lee's ban was backdated to October 2012, meaning that it expired in October 2024, allowing him to make his snooker return last year. Although he played an exhibition game in August, he has not played a competitive game of snooker since 2012.

Stephen Lee at The Masters in 2012. Image: Scott Heavey / Staff via Getty

Reports suggest Lee still owes £125,000 in legal fees related to the court cases and unsuccessful appeals linked to his match-fixing case.

Until those debts are settled, he will not be eligible to play on the World Snooker Tour.

It also remains unclear if Lee intends to return to competitive snooker full-time.

When asked about a competitive return earlier this year, he told a fan: "Not a chance of it my friend. I struggle to break off nowadays. It's down to my son [who plays amateur snooker] now."

Ronnie O'Sullivan. Image: Tai Chengzhe / Contributor via Getty

What did John Higgins say?

Four-time world champion Higgins has said he would welcome Lee back to the sport.

He told BBC Sport: "If he serves his ban and decides to come back we will welcome him back with open arms. What a player he was. I'd have no problem, none at all."

Higgins is not alone with those views. Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan has also voiced his support for Lee returning to the table.

O'Sullivan, who shares the record for the most World Championships on seven with Stephen Hendry, told SPORTbible: "Yeah, I think he could compete. I've watched some of the YouTube videos of him.

"He's a great cueist. How far he'd get up the rankings, I just don't know. But yeah, I think he's fresh, put it that way. He'll be eager to play, I think."

Lee and O'Sullivan have not played each other since the German Open in 2012, but a rematch could well be on the cards.

Fans of the sport will be keen to see what level Lee can return at, although he remains a controversial figure.