Giant Ronnie O’Sullivan mural compared to a zombie after leaving fans terrified

| Live News reporter Published August 28, 2026 4:03pm Updated August 28, 2026 4:04pm A new mural of Ronnie O’Sullivan in Sheffield has received mixed reviews (Picture: Charley Atkins/SWNS) A giant mural of Ronnie O’Sullivan didn’t quite get the reaction the artist was hoping for. Instead of wowing people with its likeness to the snooker ace, it’s left fans in hysterics and been compared to a ‘zombie’. The 30ft-high mural appeared on the side of Spot On Snooker & Pool Club close to snooker’s famous Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Club owner Dan Kirkland commissioned local artist Chris Ashmore to create the huge artwork ‘The Rocket’, which has taken more than six weeks. But unfortunately for Ashmore, social media users have dubbed it ‘Monkey O’Sullivan’ on account of how the star’s facial features have been depicted. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Others branded it ‘terrifying’ and said it looked ‘like the corpse’ of the seven-time World Champion. O’Sullivan is widely regarded as one of snooker’s most talented players (Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire) ‘Didn’t know zombie snooker was a thing,’ asked one person. ‘That’s absolutely horrendous, just looks like the corpse of Ronnie O’Sullivan,’ quipped another. Meanwhile, one fan joked: ‘I want a snooker player but I want him to look like he’s just returned from war.’ Others said the mural made 50-year-old O’Sullivan ‘look like a primate’. ‘Monkey O’Sullivan hits a banana shot to hit a maximum 147!’ Another fan said: ‘I thought this was AI until I went and saw it for myself. Absolutely p***ed myself when I saw it. Fans have compared him to a ‘zombie’ in the new painting, which depicts him playing (Picture: Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images) ‘That’s absolutely horrendous,’ said one (Picture: Charley Atkins/SWNS) ‘Best worst tribute to a sports star since the Ronaldo bust statue.’ Despite the online comments, Kirkland says he ‘loves’ the artwork, and the creator has insisted it’s not yet completed. He said: ‘Chris is a fantastic artist who has done loads of work for us inside, recreating the Crucible Theatre as well as pictures of John Lennon, Bullseye and Freddie Mercury which hang on our walls.’ Defending the piece’s current state, he added: ‘We think some of the online comments are hilarious, but we must stress that the artwork is not quite finished, so it will look a little different by the time it is all done. ‘We love the painting so far; it’s unique and is a talking point, but then all good art should provoke discussion.’ Snooker star O’Sullivan is widely recognised as one of the game’s most talented players ever, having turned professional aged just 16. As well as his seven World Championships, he’s won a record eight Masters titles and eight UK Championship titles, with a total of 23 Triple Crown titles, which is the most achieved by any player. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Ronnie O’Sullivan says a pen was reason for huge Mark Selby win Arrow MORE: Ronnie O’Sullivan reveals Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis retirement advice Arrow MORE: Ronnie O’Sullivan gives bleak take on his snooker future despite win at Wuhan Open The Table Stay ahead of snooker's next big break with Metro's resident expert Phil Haigh in his new weekly newsletter.