JIMMY WHITE has revealed he’s heard “whispers” about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s potential return to snooker.
The Rocket has once again sparked retirement fears after withdrawing from the Masters, German Masters and Welsh Open in recent weeks.
His last public appearance came at the Champions League in which he snapped his cue.
O’Sullivan, 49, has put his absences down to his mental health.
But the seven-time world champion’s pal, and snooker legend, White has tipped him to be back on the baize sooner rather than later.
He told Eurosport: “He needs some match practice before the World Championship.
“He needs to get amongst it.
“I have heard he has a good cue he is happy with, [but] I am only hearing whispers.”
White also suggested that O’Sullivan needs to get back to playing in order to get some form.
However, he did admit that the Rocket is capable of brilliance as he cited his return to win the World Championship in 2013.
He added: “He needs to be playing some tournaments to get some match practice under his belt
“Saying that, do you remember when he did not play for a year, and then he came and won the World Championship?
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Ronnie O’Sullivan reveals why he made ‘nightmare decision’ to pull out of Masters after snooker star ‘lost the plot'” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6367048327112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]“So as long as he is playing he has every chance.”
O’Sullivan released a statement on social media after dropping out of the Welsh Open.
He insisted that it was not a decision he took lightly as he was grateful for support from fans.
He wrote: “I realise plenty of people who bought tickets to some recent snooker events will have been frustrated when I withdrew, so I just wanted to say sorry to those of you who’ve been disappointed with me having to pull out of those tournaments.
“I’ve been trying to prioritise my health and well-being, which sometimes means making last-minute decisions not to play.
“It’s never an easy decision and I hate letting people down.
“I’m doing what I can to get back to my best, and I’m grateful for all your support and understanding.”