Martin Gould says he’s tempted to try his hand at a darts or golfing career when his exploits at the snooker table finally come to an end.

The Pinner potter progressed into the second round of the 19.com Scottish Open with a routine 4-1 victory over Belgium’s Luca Brecel, the first time he has advanced beyond the opening stage of the competition since it was reintroduced in 2016.

But in the face of lingering injuries and a wide-ranging sporting interest, the 2016 German Masters winner believes he has what it takes to cut it as a professional on both the oche and the fairway.

“It’s been a lack of interest in wanting to play for me this season to be honest - I kind of got stuck at the beginning of the season where I wasn’t sure what I wanted to and what I didn’t want to do,” the 38-year-old reflected.

“Motivation for practice became hard, and that then makes it hard when you’re coming into matches.

“I had a brief chat with family - I really did contemplate jacking it in, and that was certainly on my mind as my body can’t take it all with the problems with my back, my neck and my knees.

“I can obviously play darts to a useful standard so there’s always that option, and I’ve also got my handicap down in golf from 18 to nine or ten, so maybe if I put in a bit more effort on the golf course that could even be an option.

“I can play a few sports but I like to think a few things secret, but in the summer if you gave me the option of going to practice or play golf, I would play golf.”

Gould hit breaks of 52, 62 and 58 at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena, making amends for his two Home Nations first round defeats at the 19.com English Open and Northern Ireland Open earlier this year.

And he isn’t done with his time at the table just yet, targeting at least a few more years in the sport he stills boasts a world ranking of 59 in.

“Maybe one of the reasons I wanted to jack it in was because I wasn’t getting any results, so maybe it was more of a mood thing,” he added.

“I have been a bit more motivated about the practice side and that can get demotivating and a bit boring, but I’ve put myself through it.

“I do enjoy playing matches, but it’s just about what you’ve got to do to get ready for playing matches that I don’t like as much.”

Watch the Scottish Open live on Eurosport, Eurosport Player and Quest with studio analysis from Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jimmy White