mumbai he was a promising football talent in england in his wonder years and played alongside current chelsea superstar frank lampard for the arsenal junior team before a freak onfield accident put paid to his dreams but the fighter in alfred burden saw footballs loss turn into snookers gaini would certainly have been a top level leftwinger had that accident not happened the 2009 international billiards and snooker federations ibsf snooker world champion told toi on the sidelines of the ongoing cricket club of india cci international snooker tournament on tuesdayi tried to chest a ball during a practice game and my entire balance came on one leg then someone kicked on my left leg from behind sending me crashing down on the field recalled burden who was 16 when it happened back in 1992 i suffered four fractures on my left leg and was rendered immobile for a year added the 34yearoldburden also used to play snooker as a hobby those days i used to play snooker to chill out after football practice in the evenings i used to play with many good players during those days and they would tell me to also concentrate on snooker as they felt i had natural talent said said burden currently ranked 57th in the professional snooker league when i started walking again i realized my football dream was over i then decided to take up snooker seriouslyburden won the english under17 national title a year later in 1993 he turned professional two years later he has never looked back since at the 1997 snooker grand prix he had a best break of 143 on his way to the last 16 in 2008 burden dropped out of professional snooker to play among amateurs again i won the 2009 ibsf championship in hyderabad beating brazils igor figueiredo added the close friend and practice partner of snooker legend jimmy white this title helped him regain a place in the professional circuit for 201011burden admits there is promising snooker talent in india i dont deny that there is a huge gap in talent between professional players and amateurs in india but the top level indian players are good enough to compete in the professional circuit opined burden who also enjoyed englands ashes success over australia though he is not a great fan of cricket