The legendary Phil Taylor speaks to The Darts Show Podcast where he reveals how much he has missed competing at the highest level
Friday 13 September 2019 19:07, UK
Phil Taylor admits he has missed competing against Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson and has hinted at making a comeback.
Taylor won 214 professional tournaments, including a record 85 major titles and a record 16 World Championships. He retired from the game after his 2018 World Championship final defeat to Rob Cross.
'The Power' is a firm believer in technological advancements in darts, and the 59-year-old feels if he made a return today, he would have no problem re-adjusting.
Download the latest Darts Show podcast episode now
He has launched his new Generation 6 darts through Target in which the arrows have a new piece of technology called Swiss Point that allows players to switch the points on their darts in a matter of seconds, which has made Taylor think of making a sensational return to the oche.
"I've enjoyed my retirement but now all these new ideas are coming out, it's like having a brand new car and being a racing car driver," Taylor told Sky Sports.
"I'd love to have another bash, especially at Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson. I do miss that little bit of camaraderie. They say now the practice room is dead, it's very quiet and nobody is having any fun. The youngsters are standing there with iPods in their ears.
"Me and Aidy (Lewis) used to have a right laugh."
It can be a quick career if you don't perform properly.
Taylor claims the game is lacking characters due to the amount of money now involved in competitions with players becoming more professional than ever.
"The game has gone very serious with the money involved and I can understand them being very serious. It can be a quick career if you don't perform properly. If some of these pros don't do something to reinvent themselves, they're going to go down the rankings as quick as anything."
He also admits not watching any darts on TV, but he would tune-in to see young Leighton Bennett, who has taken the game by storm and is in the running for a spot at the Grand Slam of Darts this November.
"Somebody just asked me a question about Bennett and should he have a wildcard to Wolverhampton? My answer was that I don't watch the darts on TV but if Bennett gets a wildcard I'll watch it because he is exciting. He's a nightmare to play," he said.
Taylor defeated the youngster 10-7 at the Tower of London in March, although Bennett gained his revenge, defeating the 59-year-old 4-1 at the SAP Darts Slam in Frankfurt back in June.
"I've played him a couple of times and he's an absolute nightmare, because he's a young lad and he's good," Taylor added. "He's got no fear in him at all. I quite like that in him."
You can hear the full interview with Phil Taylor on the latest episode of the Darts Show podcast….
It's not long to wait until darts is back on Sky Sports, the World Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday, October 6 at Dublin's Citywest Arena and seven days of coverage continues until the final on Saturday, October 12.
