Romford-based potter feels winning all four should earn more than £1m in prize money

Romford-based Trump labelled the £1million on offer for winning all four Home Nations Series events ‘stingy’ — claiming the prize offered up by World Snooker supremo Barry Hearn should be at least ten times that.

If any snooker player can triumph at the English, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh Opens this year they will become an instant millionaire and Trump is still in the running — just — after edging through the Dafabet English Open first round in Barnsley on Monday.

The 28-year-old came from 3-2 down against Robbie Williams to win 4-3, showing some of his best form with breaks of 114 and 143 in the early going, but still needing a late comeback to advance.

The largest prize pot ever taken home by a snooker player was the £375,000 Mark Selby received for winning the 2017 World Championship, but given the money in other sports, and degree of difficulty in triumphing at four specific tournaments, Trump is adamant £1m is not a big enough bonus.

“In today’s world — a million pounds in sport is not great,” said the world number four, who is based at the Grove Snooker Club

“If it was like £10million and it was achievable it would be a big story.

“People are on almost £1m per week in football and that’s up for grabs at every tournament in golf and tennis.

“To win four events for that figure is not worthy. It would be the biggest thing ever — to win four events that you know you have to win over a season would be an incredible achievement.

“I think it’s a bit stingy. I think it should be at least £10m, maybe even more to win those four events.

“You would be better off spending the money in other ways — make a tournament with a £1million prize where the winner takes all, that would be a lot better.”

With 28 matches needing to be won to take home the £1m, Trump could do with a few straightforward clashes in the early rounds.

That was certainly not the case against a dogged Williams and he admits a simpler progression against Mark Joyce in round two on Wednesday would be appreciated.

Trump added: “You’ve got some of the lower-ranked players that can’t really play and then you’ve got someone like Robbie Williams who can go out there and play like that against you.

“You’d rather have an easier match to get through a couple of rounds – you don’t want to be stressing yourself out like that.”

• Watch the English Open LIVE on Eurosport 1 and Quest, featuring daily studio analysis from Ronnie O’Sullivan, Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.