Aston Villa defender Martin Laursen has revealed how he likes to unwind away from the stresses and strains of the Premier League, by swapping the green turf of Villa Park for the baize of a snooker or pool table.
And while the Scandinavian insists he is no pool hustler, he is considered Villa's No 1 snooker player although he jokingly admits that team-mate Olof Mellberg might have a thing or two to say about that!
Laursen, who pocketed a new two-and-a-half year contract in January which will keep him at Villa Park until 2010, can regularly be found potting a few balls in the games room at the club's luxurious £13 million Bodymoor Heath training ground.
He said: "I do love snooker but it is a bit of a debate whether it is I or Olof who is the better player. I had better say he is!
"I find it a good way to unwind and I also like to watch the big matches on television. I couldn't name any of the big hitters but I know the faces and it is a sport I enjoy."
Laursen is currently enjoying the best season of his career at Villa. He is up among the club's top scorers this season with six goals, only two behind Gabriel Agbonlahor and three behind John Carew.
With all the knee-injury worries which had plagued his early career since joining Villa from AC Milan in 2004, the Danish defender has relished the chance to be the club's first-choice centre-back and was thrilled when manager Martin O'Neill offered him a new contract.
Laursen now has his sights set on helping Villa break into European competition this season. The club is currently sixth in the Barclays Premier League and within a whisker of that elusive fourth place which could mean Champions' League football.
They are clearly in with a shout of claiming a place in the Uefa Cup while manager O'Neill recently revealed that he was also entering his side into the Intertoto Cup this year, should that be necessary.
Laursen said: "I still think it is very important to only ever think one game ahead but obviously now we would love to go for a place in Europe and I think, after the progress we have made this season, we would be very disappointed not to qualify.
"There are only 12 games remaining and we are in pole position; if we can continue in the form we have had recently then there is no reason why we shouldn't get into Europe this season."
The 6ft 2in defender is also full of praise of O'Neill and revealed his winning attitude has helped the players gain confidence as the campaign has gone on. He said: "The manager is definitely a winner. I think he has got problems with himself when we are losing and he doesn't like that. He wants to do well and he has got his big dreams for this club and we feel that."
Laursen continued: "We have a very good team that can challenge for at least a Uefa Cup place. We are playing some good attacking football. We have some good players going forward and we always feel we can score. If we manage to stay solid at the back we have a fair chance to play well and to get some good results but it is important to take one game at a time."
* Villa's Premier League fixture with Reading this weekend at the Madejski Stadium kicks off at 4pm on Sunday, with the match being televised live.
The Royals lie in the third and last relegation place, below Birmingham City on goal difference.
