Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry has confirmed that he is returning to the World Snooker Tour circuit next month.

The Scottish snooker legend retired from the professional game in 2012 but he was handed an invitational two-year tour card, along with Dubliner Ken Doherty and Jimmy White, by the WST chairman Barry Hearn last year.

The 52-year-old was due to make his return at the Wesh Open this month but his online entry form wasn't received by the tournament organisers.

"Very disappointed I’m not playing in the Welsh Open," Hendry said in a Twitter post after it was confirmed he had not entered as expected.

"I did enter as soon as entry opened online, must have been a glitch in system, however. I found out the other night I wasn’t in it, gutted as I was really looking forward to playing."

However, a short statement on Twitter in Tuesday night confirmed that he will be in action at the Gibraltar Open which is being played in a venue (TBC) in the UK between 1 March and 7 March.

"I've entered Gibraltar Open," Hendry wrote.

I’ve entered Gibraltar open 👍

— stephen hendry (@SHendry775) February 16, 2021

Hendry, who originally announced his intention to make a comeback last September, could also compete in this year's World Championship but he would have to go through the qualifiers which begin in April.

He won the world title a record seven times from 1990 until his last win at the Crucible in 1999.

He has won a total of 36 ranking events and officially retired after losing to fellow Scot Stephen Maguire by 13 frames to 2 in the 2012 World Championship quarter-finals.

The news comes just six months after five-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed in a post-match interview that he would have to "lose an arm and a leg to fall outside the top 50" in the world snooker rankings.

O'Sullivan was highly critical of the standard of young players coming through at professional level.