JOHN Higgins is living proof that age is no barrier to success.

One of snooker’s finest players, Higgins endured an unexpected – and miserable – 29-month drought for a ranking title after winning the 2012 Shanghai Masters.

It was the most barren spell of the Scot’s illustrious 24-year professional career.

But at 40, and now one of the respected ‘old guard’ on the professional circuit, Higgins has arguably been the player of the season thus far.

The Wishaw man was won three titles this calendar year and remains one of the few opponents fellow professionals fear.

And so it’s little surprise he heads to this season’s Betway UK Championship in York this week full of confidence.

The BBC-televised tournament runs from November 24 to December 6 at the Barbican Centre in York, with 128 players chasing the coveted trophy and a top prize of £150,000.

And with defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan having surprisingly opted not to defend his title, Higgins and many of his fellow professionals know their chances of winning the tournament have just been made that little bit easier.

“It’s a shame he’s [Ronnie] not there, especially as defending champion,” said Higgins.

“He always brings something special to a tournament, that’s Ronnie for you.

“But I’m sure he has his reasons and I’m sure his absence does give a few more players hope they can win the tournament.

“Maybe he won’t compete in as many tournaments anymore, but the [professional] Tour can cope without him because the quality is so high these days.

“That’s why winning tournaments still means so much. It certainly doesn’t get any easier the older you get.

“But you just have to keep believing. Winning three titles in a calendar year is brilliant, it’s something I’m very proud of.

“The longer it [time without winning a title] goes on, the more you start to doubt yourself and ask the question ‘can I do it again?’

“You don’t think you can when it’s not going for you, but thankfully I’ve managed to keep that belief and it’s really shown in my results.”

Higgins, a four-time world champion, proved he is well and truly back to his best when he won the International Championship in Daqing, China, last month.

In doing so he pocketed a handsome winner’s cheque of £125,000, his biggest pay day since winning his fourth Crucible crown in 2011.

But more importantly – and significantly in Higgins’ career – victory in the Far East saw him claim his 28th ranking title, matching the tally of six-time world champion Steve Davis.

Davis was Higgins’ boyhood idol and now, having experienced the lows without success, he stands level with the ‘Nugget’ as the second most successful player of all time.

Only compatriot Stephen Hendry, who is now retired, stands ahead of him in the all-time list with a seemingly impregnable record of 36.

“I’ve just to enjoy it [this success] while it lasts,” admits Higgins. “I’ve just got to see how far it can go and see if I can ride the wave.

“The pressure is off me in many respects because winning a couple of big tournaments puts you up on the rankings.

“The calendar is so busy these days you’re away a lot, but it’s a good thing because the tour was a shambles before [World Snooker chairman] Barry Hearn came in.

“Before you were fighting for every pound and every point, but the [prize money] list gives you that little bit more breathing space to pick and choose what tournaments I play.

“I’ve got a family so it’s hard being away from, but I’m also going to make the most of it [my career] while I’ve got this opportunity.”

“Throughout my career I’ve lots of peaks and troughs, but it’s how you cope with those highs and lows.

“I’ve got a lot of battle scars, but so have a lot of the top players. But experience definitely counts for a lot.

“There’s tournaments you can turn up to and you just expect to struggle because your game is not there, but there’s other times when you just find your find form, get that bit of luck you need, and everything comes together. It’s a special feeling when that happens.”

Life hasn’t all been plain sailing for Higgins though. In 2010 the News of the World Sunday tabloid newspaper carried out a sting operation in a hotel room in Ukraine, which claimed to show the player arranging to lose frames for money.

An independent enquiry cleared Higgins of match-fixing allegations, but he was charged with bringing the sport into disrepute and accordingly banned for six months and fined £75,000.

Ironically he returned to win the UK Championship, his first major tournament title since his ban, and has since shown his character to re-establish his reputation with fans and players alive.

Of course not everybody is Higgins’ corner, but he – as he has throughout his career – remains one of the favourites to win a fourth UK crown.

The former world No 1 kicks off his title-challenge against amateur Leo Fernandez, from the Republic of Ireland, Tuesday.