RISING star Kyren Wilson is determined to write his own piece of snooker history at one of snooker's Triple Crown events - as excitement builds for the Betway UK Championship in York.

The 26-year-old, one of the sport's most promising talents, has won two titles already this season, at the Paul Hunter Classic and Six Red World Championship, as well as reaching the final of the Champion of Champions where he suffered an agonising 10-9 defeat to the great Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Wilson also reached the final of the Masters and the semi-finals of the World Championship earlier this year. But he recognises that only players who win the World, UK and Masters crowns will go down in history.

“These are the tournaments that define your career,” said Wilson - whose next chance to get on that roll of honour starts at the York Barbican on Tuesday.

“They are the ones you look back on and say that you have won.

"I love travelling the world with the snooker tour but also you want to do well in front of your own people in the UK. I will be chasing down the Triple Crown events for many years to come.”

Wilson broke down in tears at the end of the Masters final in January after losing 10-7 to Mark Allen.

“You have to go through those moments in order to find out about yourself,” he reflected. “At the end of the day, you are the one that is holding the cue and if you can stand up under that pressure and do what is required, it gives you a lot of confidence going forward.”

Wilson, from Kettering, turned pro in 2010 and struggled to make an impact initially, suffering relegation from the circuit. He rebuilt his cue action with the help of coach Barry Stark and has since stormed up the rankings, now standing 11th in the world.

“Barry has been brilliant,” he said. “We have worked really hard over the last few years to establish a routine. When I first turned professional I felt my game wasn’t good enough to stand up under pressure. We completely went into the doldrums for two years and changed everything around. It has been massive for my career.

“I think there are a lot of professionals in the sport who need to do the same thing, but they are just too scared to do it. I am quite a driven person. I don’t want to be in the game to earn a few quid and do alright. I want to look back on big title wins. To be up there with the best you have to make those sacrifices.”

The UK Championship runs from Tuesday to December 9 at the York Barbican, with six-time winner O’Sullivan defending the title against the likes of Mark Selby, Judd Trump, John Higgins and Mark Williams. Wilson faces Andy Lee in his opening match on Tuesday at 7.30pm.

Tickets for the first three days start at £8, with eight tables in play in every session.