Former world champion has insisted players do have access to mental health support services following 's recent criticism.

O'Sullivan recently made headlines after snapping his cue following a defeat to Robert Milkins at the Championship League. He then at the and called on snooker organisers , such as a professional being on hand at tournaments.

"I’m not saying everyone will go in there, but I just think a lot of players suffer in silence basically," he said on Eurosport. "I can tell, just look at them and they’re struggling. They should have someone to go and talk to. I think that’s so important. You have coaches sorting your correction out but really you need someone just to unload a bit. I think it would really help the players."

And now Murphy – who is chairman of the WPBSA Players group – has weighed in on the matter. The 2005 champion agreed to a large extent that players need plenty of support, though he did shed some light on the facilities already at their disposal.

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"As a members association, it's our job to represent everybody," he told host Hazel Irvine on the . "But when one of our leading lights – as Ronnie O'Sullivan undoubtedly is - starts talking, we all have to listen. And we take all of this constructive feedback onboard.

"What I would say is that on the WPBSA Players app, which all the members have access to - we write to them constantly about it – they have access to this help at the touch of a button through their phone. We work very closely with Sporting Chance, which was set up by [Arsenal legend] Tony Adams, and all our members can access all the help they need on an app we provide."

'The Magician' went on to explain all submissions and enquiries on the service are anonymous, though Irvine did note players are only entitled to 12 free sessions. When asked by BBC pundit John Parrott whether any players actually use the service, Murphy replied it was "very widely used" among its members.

His comments echoed the words of WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson, who has been keeping tabs at Alexandra Palace this week. And in light of O'Sullivan's comments, the figure head said his organisation is committed to providing snooker players with all the support they need.

"This is a very lonely sport," he said on Eurosport the day after O'Sullivan's plea. "An individual's sport, of course, and you never know what people are going through. It's not just about us on the table, it's sometimes about what's going [on] off the table, and these players are spending a lot of time away from home. So there are a lot of challenges out there, and it's something we take very, very seriously."