White will not retire

White, now 46, has finished as runner-up six times at the Crucible without winning the tournament.

The left-hander has only failed to qualify for the first round twice since 1981.

"I now know I have it in me to get back to the top level of the sport," White told Metro.

The former world number two denied that he is thinking of retiring after slipping to 65 in the official world rankings.

"I know I still retain that hunger," he said. "Anyone who thinks I don't, or believes I will be retiring, is very much mistaken."

White is a fans' favourite for his near-misses in Sheffield, with five consecutive losses in the final one of the most memorable sagas the game has produced.

He missed a simple black for victory in the decisive frame of the 1994 final against Stephen Hendry, his opponent returning to record a 58 clearance and snatch the title from White for a third year in a row.

The world crown this year was won by Ronnie O'Sullivan.