EVANS WOULD SPLASH £1M ON NEW TEETH

RICKY EVANS says he would buy a new set of TEETH if he ever won the £1million World Championship prize. 

World No.40 Evans is through to the third round at Ally Pally after claiming the scalps of Man Lok Leung and James Wade. 

‘Rapid’ would splash the cash on a new set of pearly whites after revealing they are his biggest insecurity. 

The Kettering thrower admitted he rarely smiles because he feels self-conscious, revealing he majorly rues not listening to his dentist and taking better care of his mouth. 

He said: “Oh, it’s very personal. I’d get new teeth. That’s my biggest confidence issue. I hate my teeth. 

“As a boy, I never looked after them. If I ever get pain, it’s there, it’s in my mouth. I’d love to get a proper smile. 

“Have you ever seen me smile? That’s my little go-to thing. 

“But yeah, we’re all about doing something about it next year. So even if I don’t win it, I think I should do it. Get something done. 

“It’s my phobia. That and needles. And I’ll never be in the jungle as well, because I don’t like spiders. 

“As a boy, I never looked after my teeth. Maybe four or five years ago, when Covid was about, we had the Grand Slam in Coventry. I didn’t really want to be there. 

“I went through a dark time again. Because I didn’t listen to the dentist, and my mum and dad. 

“You know when you hear someone say, what’s your biggest regret in life? I’d look after my teeth again. 

“I’d love to be at a charity do, a party or even a darts event, and smile. And feel confident in myself.” 

Evans reckons he will wear a set of joke teeth if he lifts the Sid Waddell Trophy. 

He added: “If I won, well my dad’s got joke teeth. My dad collects masks, as anyone that follows me on social media knows. 

“We like to impress with the hats and the goggles. 

“I just don’t like the way I smile. It’s just me personally. Before I met my better half, I was very shy. 

“I still am shy, but I didn’t smile to her. She was like: ‘I don’t care about your smile, I like your personality, I like who you are.’ 

“I said to her then, ‘I’ve got terrible teeth’. She said: ‘So, what? Maybe one day you won’t.’” 

The 35-year-old has been backed at the Worlds by his parents and girlfriend Sharne, who works as a rapid response nurse. 

He continued: “Christmas Day is going to be just the three of us, mum, dad, me, plus the dog. 

“My girlfriend is working. She goes house-to-house (appointments). It’s normally the older people she goes to. 

“She has to come back down south now because I’m still in. So, it’s lovely. 

“She’s one of them – she’s the red half of Liverpool. But she has to come down to Ally Pally again now for my next game, so it’s brilliant. 

“What I need to do now is just get my head on because I’ve beaten the seed again. Now I’ve got a player that is not seeded. 

“And every year I do this – lose this next game. Always lose it. I need to focus.” 

Evans returns to action on December 27 and will face Charlie Manby for a place in the last 16 at the major tournament.

Image by Taylor Lanning.