CLAYTON: I ALMOST QUIT DARTS AFTER LOSING MY DAD

By Phil Lanning

EXCLUSIVE

JONNY CLAYTON almost quit darts after his dad died but now vows he is getting back to his best.

The former plasterer will begin his bid to regain the World Grand Prix title he won in 2021 against Andrew Gilding on Tuesday night in Leicester.

Clayton, 51, lost his dad John just over two years ago and has admitted he considered quitting after his hunger for the game went at the same time.

Now the World No.6 insists he is battling back to top form for his wife and kids.

He revealed: “I lost my hero. All truths, I just didn’t want to play darts. I had no inspiration to play darts. Just didn’t want it.

“My dad was a darts fanatic. He loved everything about darts. In a way I was playing kind of for him, if that makes sense.

“It was just a hobby for me. My dad would say: ‘you’ve got something here, you’ve got to push harder’.

“It’s the same old story, when he passed I lost my hero. Darts was nowhere near my list to be playing to be honest.

“I wasn’t picking up any more in ranking tournaments, I wasn’t doing very well in anything basically. I didn’t want it, I didn’t care. I couldn’t give two hoots, as they say.

“But when time went on a little bit, my kids and wife were talking, they said ‘you can actually play darts, carry on’.

“I looked at my wife and my kids, right I’m going to try for you guys as well.

“It takes a while to get over a few hurdles. But once you get the hunger back and the smile back on your face, confidence is a lot of it. Then you are back on track.

“To be honest I think I’m heading in the right way. My form is coming back slowly. I’ve got a smile back on my face, darts are going quite well, hopefully there are good things to come.

“Then you sit and think I am pretty good at this game. Why not just give it a try again.

“Just concentrate, get back on it, get your head back where it should be.

“But now it’s head down, back on the practice board and that’s one thing I don’t do too much of. Now it’s going the right way.

“The smile is back. The bounce is back and I’m getting a bit chopsy. The old Ferret is back!

“There’s no better feeling than winning. You have to learn how to lose because you aren’t going to win everything you play in.

“The winning feeling is awesome. You’ve got to work hard to get to places. There’s a lot of players who want that same feeling.”

When Clayton won the Grand Prix in 2021 he was, arguably, the best player in the world at that time having picked up four big titles in that season along with the Premier League, World Series and Masters.

But now there’s the big two of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries to take down to win majors.

However, Clayton believes they are not invincible. On Littler, he added: “He’s only human. We are all breakable. Even going back to Phil Taylor and MVG (Michael van Gerwen) at the top of his game.

“The two Lukes are playing fantastic darts. Gezzy Price unbeatable at one point. But everybody is beatable if it’s your day and you play well, they’ve got to play well to beat you.

“Listen I think Luke Littler is fantastic, both the Lukes are. Littler has all the tools. But it’s starting to get different now because he’s got to defend everything that he’s won.

“It starts to get much harder when you have to defend money.

“You’re thinking this double has to land, what £200,000 is his first defence. That game is going to be a little bit different than it was two years back.

“It’s how he feels the pressure. He’s the kind of guy who takes it in his stride. He is a fantastic player.”

Clayton, like all the top stars, has his eye on hitting form to go all the way to become the first £1million-winning World Champ at the Ally Pally.

He said: “If I was to pick a year, this would be the year to do it!

“It’s definitely my dream but it’s everybody’s dream to lift that World Championship trophy. I’d love to be the second Welshman to lift it. Hopefully this is the year of the Ferret.”

*Jonny Clayton is playing in the BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix in Leicester, Oct 6-12. Visit BOYLESports.com. 18+ BeGambleAware

Image by Taylor Lanning.