Shaun Murphy copies Lionel Messi as he sleeps with Masters trophy after beating Kyren Wilson to £365k payday

SHAUN MURPHY celebrated his epic Masters triumph by emulating 1 of football's greats - and napping with his caller prize.

The 42-year-old beat Kyren Wilson 10-7 successful a modern time classical connected Sunday night.

Murphy's triumph was his archetypal astatine the Masters since completing the Triple Crown successful 2015.

It completed a stunning week for the erstwhile satellite champ, who besides bagged a majestic 147 successful the semi-finals.

Murphy chopped an affectional fig arsenic helium was presented with the Paul Hunter Trophy for the archetypal clip successful a decade.

And helium wasn't astir to fto it get distant this clip - taking it to furniture with him successful his edifice room.

Emulating Argentina fable Lionel Messi sleeping with the World Cup, the snooker prima snuggled up with the gong successful the hours pursuing the win.

Murphy uploaded a drawback of him snoozing with the trophy to his 70,000 Instagram followers.

He wrote: "Thank you truthful overmuch for your benignant words and support!

"It's going to instrumentality a portion for this 1 to descend in.

BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS

"But for now, maine and my trophy are going to bed."

The Magician deed 4 centuries and had to beryllium astatine his superb champion to stave disconnected a Wilson comeback astatine Ally Pally.

It was besides a beardown nighttime for Murphy's slope balance, arsenic helium potted his mode to a chill £350,000.

He besides bagged a further £15,000 bonus connected apical for achieving the highest interruption of the tournament.

Murphy said aft the match: "I cannot judge this. I’m successful shock.

"I thought these days, astatine the concern extremity of events, had gone for me.

"[My BBC colleague] Peter Ebdon was precise beardown and made maine observe that self-belief. He has reminded maine that I utilized to beryllium rather bully astatine this.

"There’s inactive beingness successful the aged canine yet."

He added: "It’s not successful Kyren’s DNA to springiness up. He fought until the end.

"There were a fewer frames erstwhile it was panic stations.

"This is close up there. The triumph successful 2015 cemented my Triple Crown and I joined that club. But this triumph is arguably bigger.

"It has been an unthinkable week. One of the champion crowds successful the full world."