Shaun Murphy copies Lionel Messi as he sleeps with Masters trophy

Shaun Murphy celebrated his epic Masters win by emulating one of football’s great players and taking a nap with his new award.

The 42-year-old defeated Kieran Wilson 10-7 in the Modern Day Classic on Sunday night.

Shaun Murphy holding the Paul Hunter trophy.

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Shaun Murphy defeated Kieran Wilson to win the Paul Hunter Trophy on SundayCredit: PA
Good night; Bedside table with lamp, crystal trophy and Patrick Stewart memorabilia.

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It was Murphy’s first win at the Masters since 2015.Credit: https://www.instagram.com/shaunmurphy147/?hl=en
The man is sleeping on the bed with the trophy.

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The 42-year-old man didn’t want to let go of the trophy, took it to bed with himCredit: https://www.instagram.com/shaunmurphy147/?hl=en
Lionel Messi is sleeping on the bed with the FIFA World Cup trophy.

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The scene simulates the World Cup in 2022 as well as football legend Lionel Messi’s goldCredit: AFP

The win was Murphy’s first at the Masters since completing the Triple Crown in 2015.

It completed a fantastic week for the former world champion, who also shot an impressive score of 147 in the semi-finals.

Murphy spoke emotionally when he was presented with the Paul Hunter Trophy for the first time in a decade.

And this time he didn’t want to let it get away – took it to bed with him in his hotel room.

Emulating Argentina legend Lionel Messi in sleeping with the World Cup, the snooker star rang the gong for hours after the win.

Murphy uploaded a photo of herself taking a nap with the trophy to her 70,000 Instagram followers.

He wrote: “Thank you so much for your kind words and support!

“It will take some time for this to sink in.

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“But for now, me and my trophy are going to sleep.”

Murphy and Messi aren’t the only sports stars to take their trophies to bed in memorable ways.

Shaun Murphy has been branded a ‘confirmed idiot’ after the infamous Ally Paly Wasp sent him running during the Masters semi-finals.

Earlier this year, Luke Littler slept with the PDC World Darts Championship trophy following his success at Ely Pally.

Robert Lewandowski takes home his giant trophy in 2020.

Then in 2021, and painfully for England fans, Italy pair Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini shared a bed with the Euro trophy after defeating the Three Lions at Wembley.

The man is sleeping on the bed with the trophy.

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Luke Littler took his World Darts trophy to bed
Illustration of Robert Lewandowski's 2020 trophies.

The magician scored four centuries and had to be at his best to prevent Wilson’s comeback at Ely Pally.

It was also a strong night for Murphy’s bank balance, as he looked to reach £350,000.

He also received an additional bonus of £15,000 on top for achieving the highest break in the tournament.

Murphy said after the match: “I can’t believe it. I’m in shock.

“I thought these days, at the business end, were gone for me.

,[My BBC colleague] Peter Ebdon was very strong and made me discover that self-confidence. He reminded me that I used to be pretty good at it.

“There’s still life in the old dog.”

List of all-time snooker world champions

Below is a list of Snooker World Champions by year.

The record dates to the modern era, widely believed to be the 1968–69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the game.

The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with breaks from 1941–45 due to World War II and from 1958–63 due to controversies in the sport.

Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pullman (both 8) were the most successful players of that period.

Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for most titles won in the modern era with seven titles each.

  • 1969 – John Spencer
  • 1970 – Ray Reardon
  • 1971 – John Spencer
  • 1972 – Alex Higgins
  • 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
  • 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
  • 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
  • 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
  • 1977 – John Spencer (2)
  • 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
  • 1979 – Terry Griffiths
  • 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
  • 1981 – Steve Davis
  • 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
  • 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
  • 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
  • 1985 – Dennis Taylor
  • 1986 – Joe Johnson
  • 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
  • 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
  • 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
  • 1990 – Stephen Hendry
  • 1991 – John Parrott
  • 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
  • 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
  • 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
  • 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
  • 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
  • 1997 – Ken Doherty
  • 1998 – John Higgins
  • 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
  • 2000 – Mark Williams
  • 2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
  • 2002 – Peter Ebdon
  • 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
  • 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
  • 2005 – Shaun Murphy
  • 2006 – Graeme Dott
  • 2007 – John Higgins (2)
  • 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
  • 2009 – John Higgins (3)
  • 2010 – Neil Robertson
  • 2011 – John Higgins (4)
  • 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
  • 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
  • 2014 – Mark Selby
  • 2015 – Stuart Bingham
  • 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
  • 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
  • 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
  • 2019 – Judd Trump
  • 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
  • 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
  • 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
  • 2023 – Luca Brecel
  • 2024 – Kieran Wilson

most world titles (modern era)

  • 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
  • 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
  • 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
  • 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
  • 2 – Alex Higgins

He further said, “Giving up is not in Kieran’s DNA. He fought till the end.

“There were some pictures when it was panic stations.

“It’s perfect. The 2015 win cemented my Triple Crown and I join that club. But this win is definitely bigger.

“It’s been an incredible week. One of the best crowds in the whole world.”

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