Gary Anderson has issued a friendly piece of advice to the plethora of youngsters who are lighting up darts – have a back-up plan.

There is a conveyor belt of young talent in the sport like never before, with the likes Owen Bates, Gian van Veen and 16-year-old Luke Littler among those about to make their Ally Pally debuts. It’s an exciting time for them, and the sport in general, but there are pitfalls to starting so young as well.

For every player who reaches the top and manages to stay there, there are many more who fall by the wayside. Having worked as a builder and then running a pub and latterly fishing lakes, darts isn’t the be-all and end-all for Anderson.

READ MORE: Voice of Darts Russ Bray reveals pet hate ahead of World Darts Championship swansong

READ MORE: 'I played at former PDC World Darts venue – it was so tight you could hear the swearing'

“Young kids are coming through, there’s not many of us boys left,” jokes the two-time world champion, who begins his 2024 World Championship campaign tonight (Saturday) against the winner of the first round tie between Simon Whitlock and Paolo Nebrida.

“There’s the young Dutch lads coming through, they’re coming from all over. We’ve got young Luke Littler, who’s going to be something. I’ll be interested to see how his career goes.

Who are you backing to win the Paddy Power World Championship? Tell us in the comments section below

“On paper, it looks great for him but four years down the line, you don’t know, do you? When kids leave school and go straight into darts, have a good three or four years, but then it goes wrong and they can’t play darts again, what are they going to fall back on?

“They’ve got no trade behind them, they’re in their 20s and they’ve got to learn something to get work. I always say ‘have a trade behind you, take up darts when you leave school but have a job as well’. I carried on working while I was playing darts before one day I decided I was going to have a good shot at this [by going full-time].”

Last year, Anderson openly admitted to losing his passion for the sport, but has had a new lease of life in 2023 and is regarded as a dark horse for Ally Pally, if you can give a two-time world champion such a title. He has minor regrets about not dedicating more time to the sport over the years, but insists there is more to life than what happens on the oche.

“I regret that I’ve never taken it as seriously as some of the other boys,” he admits. “But there’s more to life than just one thing – that’s my motto. I’ve enjoyed life. Before, it was getting to me and I didn’t want to play. It was just darts, darts, darts and I wasn’t enjoying it.

“Now I’ve got my lakes, my darts and my family – that’s my wee set-up. I’m still struggling with sitting in hotels day after day [at tournaments]. I used to be able to do it before lockdown, but not now. I loved being at home.”

Get your ultimate World Darts Championship 2024 preview here

It's the most wonderful time of the year – and we've got the perfect magazine to get you in the Ally Pally spirit!

With this year's PDC World Darts Championship set to be another thriller, Daily Star Sport have prepared your ultimate 40-page preview magazine to get you ready for all things arrows.

From interviews with Grand Slam of Darts champion Luke Humphries and former world champions Gary Anderson and Rob Cross to in depth features on the PDC's angriest moments and why they start on 501 – we've got you covered.

Order yours to buy immediately right here!

Despite his vast experience, Anderson still admits to getting jittery on the stage at times. He says he’ll be most nervous for his first match at Ally Pally, for more than a final. But in keeping with his attitude in general, he stresses no player should let an early exit ruin their Christmas.

“Ask any darts player, that’s the worst game of the tournament,” he insists. “People say it ruins Christmas [if they lose it] and that cheeses me off. Nothing should ruin Christmas if you’ve got family.

“It’s a game of darts at the end of the day. There’ll be next year and the year after. So grow up, there’s more to life than a game of darts.”

Source: Read Full Article