The Pinner Potter, competing in the competition for the second year running, edged past Marco Fu in the first round at the Crucible and looked to be on course for a quarter final clash with the resurgent Steve Davis after racing into an 11-5 lead over seeded Aussie Neil Robertson. However, Gould suffered a bad case of 'clincher's disease' on Saturday afternoon as Robertson rattled off five successive frames to narrow the gap. Gould edged the 22nd frame to move within one of another famous win but Robertson kept his composure to take the next three for a stunning 13-12 win.

Gould shrugged off the nature of defeat and enjoyed a night on the Sheffield tiles with his friends. However, the in-demand 28-year-old now faces some serious decisions about his future after revealing the game's leading managers are queuing up to harness his talent and turn him into a household name.

“A few people have enquired about managing me for next season including a few offers from some of the the top boys,” said Gould. “Now it is down to me and my current coach to sit down and have a chat and see what can happen. I have got plenty to think about but I am looking forward to what the future holds.

“I do not want to be a fly on the wall anymore. Not many people had heard of me up until a few weeks ago, and while I am not a household name just yet my attacking style has won me a lot of new fans.”

Gould, who practices at North Harrow Snooker Centre, says a refereeing blunder during Saturday's session put him off his stride against Robertson, but he is taking it with a pinch of salt as he looks to build on his profile boost over the summer.

“The roar from the crowd that greeted me against Neil on Saturday was one of the best moments of my life,” added Gould. “I had arrived, in some respects.

“There is still a lot of hard work to do but a lot of players will know they cannot afford to take any liberties when they play me next season as I have proved I can play against some of the world's best players.”