Phil Taylor announces he will retire from darts after the 2018 PDC World Championships
The Power will call time on a glorious career that has seen him become world champion 16 times
PHIL TAYLOR has ended speculation over his future by announcing he will retire after the 2018 PDC World Championships.
The Power, 56, has been questioned constantly in recent months about whether he has the appetite and stamina to continue playing top-level sport into his 60s.
But the 16-time world champion tonight told ITV4 that 2017 represents his last year as a professional on the circuit – and that the Ally Pally tournament in December will be the final
event of his decorated career.
Taylor has won £7.14m in prize money over the past 30 years.
The world No.6 said: “2017 is the last year for me. The end of this year will be me done. The next world championships will be the last one.
“I’m really looking forward to it. January 2018. That is it. No more.
“I can enjoy my darts more. I am excited. It’s strange. I have butterflies and didn’t have those before. It might do me good.
“I have new darts for the New Year. I am looking forward to the next 10 months.
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“It’s hard to get motivated and keep up the practice and to dedicate myself week-in, week-out. That is what takes the toll.
“My body cannot take the toll of 4-5 hours on the practice board anymore. It’s difficult for me.
“I want to go on holiday and see places I haven’t seen before. Like my own house. I haven’t seen that for months!”
It is four years since Taylor beat Michael van Gerwen to win his 16th world title.
At times since then, he has managed only glimpses of the form that saw him dominate the sport in the 1990s and the first decade of this century.
He was defeated 5-3 in the quarter-finals of the 2017 worlds by old adversary Raymond van Barneveld.
And he has won just THREE major titles over the past two seasons, including two PDC World Cup of Darts victories.
