"I'm feeling better now than I have in years" – Former World Youth Champion rediscovers his hunger at the MODUS Super Series

After years of setbacks, doubt and hard lessons, one former World Youth Champion is back playing his best darts — and he’s doing it with a fire that had long been missing.

Keegan Brown’s recent triumph in Week 2 of Modus Super Series 12 marked more than just another title win. For the 2014 World Youth Champion, it was proof that the passion, belief and sharpness that once made him one of the sport’s brightest young talents have finally returned.

“I’m feeling better now than I have in years,” Brown said in a recent interview on MODUS Super Series YouTube channel. “The hunger’s back.”

Brown’s path back to form has been far from easy. Once a rising star tipped for greatness after winning his world youth crown, he’s since endured a rollercoaster journey marked by injuries, inconsistency and moments where he questioned if he still belonged in the sport.

“The last couple of years have been hard,” he admitted. “I’ve been through a lot, on and off the board. But that bullseye in the final – that feeling when it went in – that was probably the best moment of the year. It was pure relief. Exactly what I needed.”

That winning dart didn’t just secure him the victory — it reignited the belief that he could still compete. “When that double went in, I thought: this is why you play darts. That emotion, that rush – when everything just clicks. That’s what it’s all about.”

Brown’s route to the Super Series title wasn’t straightforward. In earlier appearances, the pressure of the big stage had cost him. “The first time I played on that stage, I was really nervous,” he said. “There might’ve only been a hundred people watching, but I felt it. I started missing doubles I’d normally never miss. When Andreas Harrysson took out 156 against me, it hit hard – but I learned from it.”

Determined not to let history repeat itself, he approached this season with a new mindset. “I knew what to expect,” he explained. “So I just told myself – do your job, stay calm, play your game. And it worked.”

Week 2 placed Brown in a brutal Group B, alongside Steve West, Richie Burnett, Lewis Gurney and Jamie Kelling. But rather than overthink the draw, he focused on simplicity and self-control.

“I treat every match like a knockout game,” Brown said. “No calculations, no worrying about averages or tables – just win your matches. Keep doing that, and you’ll qualify.”

That approach saw him overcome tough opposition, including back-to-back wins over Jimmy van Schie, whose vocal supporters gave the venue a lively edge.“It felt like an away game,” Brown laughed. “Paul Nicholson warned me beforehand, but I’ve played Max Hopp in front of four thousand Germans booing so hard my wife had to leave the venue. Twenty Van Schie fans? That’s nothing!”

A key moment came when Brown produced a clinical 129 checkout to swing momentum in his favour.“That was a big one,” he said. “If that doesn’t go, the whole match might’ve swung. Timing is everything in darts.”

When the winning bullseye finally landed, the emotion hit. “I was absolutely shattered,” Brown admitted. “You can see me almost collapse on stage. But that feeling of winning – that’s priceless. That’s why we play the game.”

Beating Van Schie again in the final made it even sweeter. “Jimmy’s a great player and a gentleman,” Brown said. “To beat someone of his quality gives you confidence. It proves I’ve still got it.”

Now 32, Brown refers to himself with a smile as an “old dog,” but his recent performances suggest anything but.

“I know I’m not old,” he joked. “But I’ve been around the block. And every time someone underestimates me, I think – I’ll show you. That’s what keeps me going.”

Even so, he knows how mentally demanding the sport can be.“If you’re not feeling right, you can’t play at 95 percent against the best in the world. It doesn’t work. But I’m feeling better now than I have in years. The hunger’s back.”

Brown’s next challenge is Champions Week, where he’ll line up alongside the likes of Neil Duff and David Pallett — a close friend and familiar rival.

“I’ve known Dave nearly twenty years,” Brown said. “We’ve played county darts together, faced off in the Arnold White League – everything. He’s had tough times, just like me. It’s great to see us both on the way back.”

For Brown, the upcoming week is personal. “I treat it like my own World Championship,” he said. “I’m practising two or three hours a day, sometimes even between shifts at work. It’s a great chance to put myself back on the map.”

And while his tone is humble, his focus couldn’t be clearer. “Darts is a one-man sport,” he concluded. “You don’t fluke a whole week. You’ve got to play well. So I’m just focusing on myself. No distractions, no maths, just step up and dominate. That’s the plan.”