THE England waistcoat in Zac Barton’s wardrobe is a clear indication that the Bolton youngster has a big future in the world of snooker.

The 15-year-old Turton Media Arts College pupil has already made a name for himself on the local scene, where he plays off a handicap of five for Bolton Snooker Club in the Bolton and District Snooker League.

But recent big-stage successes have earned him international recognition and promotion to the England Association of Snooker and Billiards Premier Junior Tour on which there are only 48 places for the country’s top under-21s players.

It has also brought much-needed sponsorship from two local companies — Concrete Services Ltd and CarMan Plastics Ltd — who have become aware of Zac’s potential through connections at Bradshaw Conservative Club, where he often plays.

Now under the wing of John Farnworth, who coaches local professional Craig Steadman, Zac has gone from strength to strength since finishing sixth on the EASB’s Regional Junior Tour last year, culminating in a successful September when he came of age at national and international levels.

Selected to represent England B in the Home International Under-16s event at the World Snooker Centre at Pontins, Prestatyn, he bounced back from a 2-1 defeat in his opening match against England A to rattle off victories over opponents from Northern Ireland (2-1), Republic of Ireland (2-1) and Scotland (3-0).

With his confidence sky high, the boy from Bradshaw impressed once more at the Prestatyn venue when he won through to the semi-finals of the U16s tournament at the Autumn Snooker Festival and reached the last 16 of the U20s tournament.