Jimmy White admits 'problem' he's got with Ronnie O'Sullivan ahead of World Championship

Snooker icon has warned his fellow professionals not to have their heads in the clouds should decide to fire upon this year. O'Sullivan's began in January with an at the Championship League.

Since then, fans have been left Ronnie-less, and attention now turns to whether or not the prolific world champion will return to the place he has tasted glory seven times before. While only O'Sullivan himself knows with hopes of making it number eight within hallowed walls, White, who has spent decades alongside The Rocket on tour, urges all to not underestimate the man he described as .

Asked if O'Sullivan is the best ever player to grace the baize, White said: "Absolutely. What Ronnie O'Sullivan has - he has my flair. He has Steve Davis' safety game through Ray Reardon.

"He has Stephen Hendry's killer instinct. What Ronnie O'Sullivan does that no one else does, is he plays a top-class match snooker as though he's practising. He completely just enjoys playing."

The Whirlwind acknowledged The Rocket's lack of game time yet pointed out that this hasn't stopped him before - and may not again.

"Now, the problem I've got with O'Sullivan this year is that he's not had a lot of match practice," said White. "I remember when O'Sullivan didn't play for one year, and he came back and he won the World Championship.

"He beat Marcus Campbell in the first round and the first three or four frames, he should have lost them all, but Marcus Campbell didn't capitalise on it, and O'Sullivan managed to beat him and went on to win the World Championship.

"He is the best player that's ever played our game. He's like a winning machine. He's entered the World Championship. I heard through the grapevine that he's been practising, so you can just never write Ronnie O'Sullivan off."

TNT Sports is the new Home of Snooker. Watch every moment of the World Snooker Championship, including qualifying, live across TNT Sports and discovery+