Shaun Murphy desperate to achieve 'special' snooker feat at World Championship

is desperate to join an elite club of multiple world champions - 20 years on from his golden moment. The Magician, 42, burst onto the scene to win the 2005 . And two decades later Murphy is one of only 11 players who have completed the coveted Triple Crown - World Championship, UK Championship and Masters.

But his quest to etch his name in history as a multiple winner of the game's greatest prize, which only eight other men have done in the modern era, still goes on. And the reigning Masters champion, who begins his latest Crucible challenge against Daniel Wells on Tuesday, said: "It's gone in the blink of an eye I have to say. It's gone so quickly and interspersed in those 20 years were three other finals, some semis and stuff like that.

"If you told the gobby, ignorant 22-year-old Shaun Murphy [I wouldn't have won it again] he would have probably told you to F off. If you'd have said that, I think I wouldn't have had that at all.

"We were reminded of this at the Champions' Dinner. There were quite a number of one-time champions at that dinner. It makes the achievements of the players that have won it more than once even more astounding because it's not easy to do.

"I think the Triple Crown Club is a bit of a private club. I think the 11 that have won all three is quite a special club. But I think within that there's another little private area for multiple world champions.

"There's an argument that multiple world champions trump Triple Crown winners. So I'm happy to be in one club. I've put my application in to join the other. Who knows? This could be the year."

Murphy feels he went "soft" over the years and was almost making up the numbers at the sport's majors. But working alongside former world champion Peter Ebdon helped Murphy rediscover his ruthlessness.

"Before I teamed up with Peter, I think I'd gone a bit soft," admitted the 15th seed. "I think the danger was that I was starting to see myself as a bit of a number maker, or just turning up the tournaments for the craic and having a good time, and starting to see my career dwindle down.

"I always believed that I could still win ranking events and still play well on my day. But I totally lost the belief that I could win a major, those massive events that are different.

"The Triple Crowns are different, and I didn't think I could win them anymore. Winning the Masters has completely reignited my belief and confidence in my own game."