CLAYTON EYES VAN GERWEN OVERHAUL AS ‘GRANDAD’ JOKES CONTINUE
12/03/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
JONNY CLAYTON is using his “daft” GRANDAD nickname as motivation as he targets more success on the oche this season.
‘The Ferret’ tops the Premier League table and holds a five-point lead over his nearest rivals aided by winning Night Three.
World No.5 Clayton, 51, is the oldest player in the tournament by a decade but is proving age is just a number.
Clayton is yet to lose a quarter-final, underlining his consistency in the weekly roadshow as he strengthens his claim for a play-off spot.
He said: “At the end of the day you’re trying to get as many points as possible.
“If I could qualify for week 17 after week 12, the job is done, isn’t it?
“It’s always attack and always looking for the two points. Like I say, anything more than that is a plus.”
The Welshman takes on Michael van Gerwen on Night Six in Nottingham and could leapfrog him in the PDC Order of Merit later this campaign to move fourth behind Gian van Veen.
Clayton revealed Van Gerwen has been leading the dressing-room banter this season and has jokingly branded him the pensioner of the group.
He added: “You’re never going to stop Michael van Gerwen from saying something daft.
“They call me ‘Grandad’, but I’m a young grandad! I take it as banter and I enjoy it. I can give back as good as I get.
“I enjoy playing against Mike, I respect Mike a lot.
“You know, I’ve always liked the way he plays that. He never blames anybody else.
“He just plays. And if it’s not his night, he blames himself, nobody else, nothing else matters.
“He goes back and he focuses on what he’s done wrong, and I think I’ve picked up a lot of tips up from that.
“No one else can help you, it’s just you, you’ve got to put things right and I really respect that so to play against Mike we just go up, we play the game of darts, no nonsense.
“I’ve done something right and I’ve got a chance of maybe catching or passing Mike.
“But, you know, I’m sure he’s going to have some ideas on that as well.
“He won’t want a little Welshman passing him, so yeah that’s my aim.
“If I can get above Michael van Gerwen, I can always say I was that one spot better than van Gerwen in life.
“So, I’d be quite happy.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
