AILING SHAUN FOUL FOR STU

SHAUN MURPHY claims he almost pulled out of the 2015 World final with a back problem that has flared up again.

And the comments drew a stinging rebuke from Stuart

Bingham (right) who beat him

18-15 for a shock win three years ago at the Crucible.

World No.8 Murphy, 35, is in a race to be fit for next week’s Players Championship for the season’s top players.

He said: “On the Sunday morning before the 2015 final I was lying on the floor of the practice room so my coach Chris Henry could walk on my back to get it right.

“I was unable to hit any balls. And while having breakfast, I was contemplating becoming the first person to pull out of a world final.” But Bingham, in a tweet featuring pictures of piles of excrement, hit back: “So everyone was right, I was lucky to win the worlds in 2015! What a load of …”