Mark Allen admitted he is in a 'bad place' mentally as he opened up on his battles and suggested he is set to retire from snooker in a heartbreaking TV interview

Mark Allen gave an incredibly emotional interview as he opened up about about quitting snooker following his exit from the Northern Ireland Open.

The three-time Crucible semi-finalist was returning to action for the first time since the World Snooker Championship in May. He faced off against close mate Jordan Brown in the first round, but fell short as he suffered a 4-2 loss.

Allen has been through an incredibly tough year, pulling out of multiple events citing 'personal reasons' in recent months. Following his loss to Brown, he confessed he was in a "bad place" and acknowledged he was probably set to hang up his cue.

In an appearance on TNT Sports, a visibly upset Allen was questioned about his feelings and responded: "Not good, if I'm honest. Really overwhelmed, I'm in a bad place at the minute. Even just to go out there and try was tough.

"I think if I wasn't playing Jordan I wouldn't have come back. I felt like, if I was going to play one last time, playing here at the Waterfront where it all started in 2005, against one of my best mates, I thought that was a better way to sign out."

When pressed on whether he was genuinely contemplating walking away from the sport, Allen replied: "Yeah. I've been flooded with support but the problems are within. I just don't see a future for snooker, if I'm honest.

"It's sad to say because it's all I've loved to do since I was 12. The last few months have been really difficult and it's sort of put snooker into perspective for me. At the minute I'm just trying to survive."

Brown, meanwhile, described it as "easily the hardest match" he had ever been required to play in his entire snooker career.

He made clear his unwavering support for Allen, saying it was tough to witness him in such a state, adding: "I've missed him, I love him, just a great guy through and through."

Fans also shared their concern for Allen, with one social media user saying: "Massive respect to Mark Allen here for firstly doing an interview after the defeat, and secondly, being open and honest about his struggles and the way he is feeling. Really hope he gets back to where he should be on the table and off it."

A second added: "Heartbreaking interview with Mark Allen," a third wrote: "That was really quite something that interview with Mark Allen. Really emotional stuff." As another echoed: "Oh my god Mark Allen please hang in there we love you so much and thanks for being so open out things."

Regarding his own situation, Brown acknowledged that he had to keep his focus on securing the win, while admitting that he too is navigating a challenging period in his life.

Nevertheless, he revealed he is working hard to get his game back on track and is determined never to endure anything like that again.