SMITH ADMITS INJURY ‘KEEPS GETTING WORSE’

By Aaron Nijjar

MICHAEL SMITH has opened up on his ongoing battle with arthritis. 

‘Bully Boy’ has been struggling to deal with the condition in both of his hands.  

The three-time Major winner returned to action at the Winmau World Masters last week but suffered a first-round exit at the hands of Danny Noppert. 

The talented St Helens ace won the 2023 World Championship but has since dropped out of the top 16 PDC Order of Merit and lost his place in the Premier League for the first time since 2021. 

Smith opened up on his injury. He said to Sky Sports: “I’ve had it for a few years now. It was always when it was winter so I thought it was just the cold affecting it. 

“So I’ve got an MRI scan tomorrow and then we can from there, see how it is. But it just keeps getting worse and worse. My wrist will start swelling up and the constant pain where I can’t bend it so it is getting a bit difficult.” 

When asked if the pain is what affects him the most, he responded: “Yeah I think so because when I went to see the specialist yesterday he said I’m restricted a bit with my right wrist so it wasn’t bending as much as it should. 

“So I’ve got an MRI scan tomorrow and then we can from there, see how it is. It was there because I broke both my wrists when I was 19 so it was going to catch up with me eventually so I think it has now.”  

World No.18 Smith went on to reveal how his injury has impacted his practice routines. 

He admitted: “It doesn’t affect the amount of practise, I’ve just got to split up. I normally I would do four or five hours straight with no stops, now I’ve got to do maybe 20 minutes with a five minute stop, half an hour with a 10 minute stop. 

“But it should be fine, it’s just a lot of painkillers but hopefully the medical team now can figure it out… if it’s PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections or maybe cortisone, I don’t know.” 

Smith has had strong support throughout his struggles from his wife and their two sons.  

Reflecting on how his family has helped him manage both his arthritis and a separate shoulder injury, he said: “The shoulder issue is my fault so they’ve been great with that.  

“Since Christmas Day I’ve not been able to function with my shoulder properly, I’ve got a Grade Two AC (acromioclavicular) joint in my shoulder that’s popping out. It’s been hard but it’s also been good with the family around me helping me out along the way.” 

Images by Taylor Lanning.