Image source, PA Media

1993 - a 17-year-old Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Stephen Hendry to become the youngest UK Championship winner ever.

2023 - on the brink of his 48th birthday, Ronnie O'Sullivan becomes the oldest UK champion ever.

Absolutely amazing stuff. An eighth UK title - can he add an eighth Masters title in January? You wouldn't count against him, would you?

Join us back here on BBC Sport in January to find out - in the meantime, thanks for reading, watching and listening tonight, on another unforgettable evening for snooker's GOAT.

Watch the final moments as Ronnie O'Sullivan hits a century to beat Ding Junhui 10-7 to seal a record-extending eighth UK Snooker Championship, 30 years after his first.

James Pearce: There is just no-one quite like Ronnie O'Sullivan. Ding Junhui played really well (after a shaky start) but as soon as he stepped up and started hitting centuries, Ronnie found another gear. Incredible. Eight UK Championships!

Parm: Ronnie is an absolute genius. Could never get bored of watching him. Don’t know how he just keeps doing this year after year. Surely there cannot be many in other sports who have been as good for this long! Hope he just carries on as long as possible!

Voice of the Mysterons: Just as well really that Ronnie O'Sullivan is as erratic as he is, otherwise it's entirely possible that he could have single-handedly *killed* the game of snooker about 20 years ago.

George Cheetham: Ronnie is incredible. How he's still THAT good after all these years is crazy. You can tell he loves it more than he sometimes would like us to believe.

Image source, Getty Images

Ronnie O'Sullivan becomes the oldest-ever UK champion with a 10-7 victory over Ding Junhui as he claimed a record-extending eighth title in York.

Read Steve Sutcliffe's report from the Barbican here.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

He's picking and choosing his events, he's not playing in every single one of them and I think that's got to be a help, certainly coming up to 48.

Lonely Goalpost: Ronnie O'Sullivan winning the UK Championship final, 30 years after first winning it. For me, the finest British sportsman of all time. Love him.

Martin Dwyer: Ronnie does it again - simply the best - eight UK titles, seven Worlds, over 1,000 centuries, keeps breaking records. Good to see Ding back in some sort of form, hopefully it keeps up.

David: Remarkable! Is there any other sportsman to dominate in this way for so long?! Unique talent!

Callum Thompson: Ronnie O'Sullivan is the Messi or Ronaldo of snooker isn't he? The natural talent and longevity of which we may never see his like again. A genius who has been and remains a joy to watch.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

His will to win is sharp but also his talent is still sharp as well.

There's the possibility that as you get older you start to lose a bit of your ability, maybe the power part of the game and the concentration to relentlessly keep potting balls may not be as strong.

But with Ronnie O'Sullivan, he's kept himself in good shape and because he has extra special abilities, it's held him in such good stead for so long within the game.

He's by far the most talented genius we've had in the game.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

If you want to see why we think he's a genius and why he's the greatest of all time, watch the last three frames again. That was genius-level.

Nobody has been able to finish a match like that in the history of the sport. Those three frames are as good as you will ever see.

Joseph Hadfield: No other snooker player plays the game like him. Magnificent.

Martin Warren: The greatest sportsman in my lifetime… immense and superb snooker by Rocket Ronnie O'Sullivan tonight in the UK Championship final, simply awesome.

Jonny Twiss: He’s the goat of all sports. Ronnie O’Sullivan. 30 years at the top. Youngest UK Championship winner. Oldest UK Championship winner. Simply incredible.

Image source, Getty Images

More from UK champion Ronnie O'Sullivan on BBC Two:

"I keep beating myself up because of the age thing, I keep thinking at some point I've got to stop winning.

"But I keep doing all right so I'll keep going until the wheels fall off!"

More from UK champion Ronnie O'Sullivan on BBC Two:

"Each tournament I win, I take great pleasure in.

"Tonight I just had to come out with a good head - I thought, if I'm going to lose, make Ding earn it.

"There was a big crowd and everyone was watching so I wanted to leave blood, sweat and tears on the table if I didn't win.

"I gave it my all, I love competing and I loved competing with Ding tonight."

Newly-crowned eight-time UK champion Ronnie O'Sullivan on BBC Two:

"He's played fantastic all week, I've been watching all his games and his cue ball control is the best ever - he's never out of position, it's like watching a computer.

"It's a pleasure to play Ding, he's such a good man - he was a boy when I first started playing him but he's a man now, a father, a credit to China, I call him the Godfather of Chinese snooker, he paved the way for everybody else to believe they could come here and do it.

"He's a massive inspiration to all snooker players - I'm a massive fan of his and it's an honour to play him in the final. I know there are probably millions and millions of people watching in China so for me it is a fantastic experience and the crowd here have been fantastic all week, I love playing here."

Image source, Getty Images

UK Championship runner-up Ding Junhui, speaking to BBC Two:

"It's been a very good week for me. I knew it was going to be tough tonight.

"I like that I've played like this during this week, it's very cool.

"I really thank the fans for their support every game, I love it here."

Reaction on the way from the runner-up Ding Junhui, and the 2023 UK Championship winner - Ronnie O'Sullivan.

The break stops at 129 as the Rocket goes in-off on the pink - but he won't care a jot.

The important thing is that he's won a record-extending eighth UK title.

Rocket finishes with a tonpublished at 21:38 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2023

21:38 GMT 3 December 2023

Ding 7-9 O'Sullivan

"Legend," someone shouts from the Barbican crowd.

On Ronnie's backswing, mind you. Doesn't bother him, he pots the red anyway.

Exhibition time now on the colours.

Dennis Taylor
1985 world champion on BBC Two

You're witnessing the greatest genius that has ever picked up a snooker cue.

The title is in the bag - can Ronnie end with a flourish by bagging a century?

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

These have been three incredible frames Ronnie has produced - it's called finding that gear when it matters.

Things almost go awry with position off a red with the rest but O'Sullivan is just about on the black - and when he pots it, the cue ball flies into the pack and everything is on now.

Almost game over.