Hendry’s former manager tried to snooker his marriage

Love cheat Stephen Hendry’s former manager has spoken of his shock at the star’s marriage split despite originally trying to block the romance.

Ian Doyle, who managed the ex-world number one for over 15 years, was one of the couple’s closest confidantes during Hendry’s stellar snooker career.

Ian was against the sweethearts getting together back in the 1980s, warning the teenage Hendry off women completely.

But last night, Hendry’s former advisor said: “It was a complete shock hearing that Stephen and Mandy have split. I’m absolutely astonished really. I genuinely thought they were one of the happiest couples in the world.

“In fact, in all the years I knew Stephen and Mandy, which probably stretched to 20-odd years, I didn’t see them argue. There was never one cross word between them. They seemed like the perfect match.”

Ian tried to snooker the pair when they first met fearing it would disrupt the teenage wonderkid’s career.

When Edinburgh-born Hendry hung up his cue two years ago, Ian said: “Mandy will be delighted to see more of Stephen and so will their boys.

“In the early days I stressed to Stephen it was particularly important he concentrated fully on his career and that meant no relationship. But he still saw Mandy anyway. Now he has removed himself from snooker, to some extent, it will give him and Mandy and the boys a bit more normality in life. It’s time for her and the children.”

Ian, 74, says the last time he saw Stephen and Mandy who met at a Pontin’s holiday camp when Hendry was 16 and wed 11 years later in Muthill Parish Church in Perthshire was 18 months ago when their relationship seemed ‘solid as ever’.

“I haven’t seen much of Stephen recently, largely because he spends so much time in China,” Ian said. “He must be there working about 40 or 50 days out of every year. They love him in China. He’s like a king there, absolutely massive.

“But when I last saw him and Mandy, they came across happy, like they always have done. There wasn’t a hint of any problems with their marriage.

“So to read in the papers that Stephen has left their marital home left me totally stunned. I didn’t expect that.”

The Hendry’s house, just a stone’s throw from Gleneagles, has been put up for rent during the Ryder Cup later in the year.

Mandy, 46, has said she’s ‘heartbroken’ at Stephen’s decision to leave for a new relationship with 26-year-old TV presenter Lauren Thundow.