“I struggle with anxiety... I am a nervous wreck” - Cameron Menzies hits back at claims his on-stage antics are form of gamesmanship

At last month’s European Darts Trophy, Cameron Menzies made it to the quarter-finals, where he was beaten 6-3 by Ryan Joyce. However, it was his dramatic third-round clash with Mike De Decker that drew the most attention. Menzies edged a tense 6-5 victory, in a match where both players squandered multiple match darts. Adding to the drama, Menzies miscalculated near the end and later collapsed to the stage in anguish.

Later, it was revealed that De Decker was left far from impressed by Menzies' antics, leading to some criticism of the Scot online. Now though, Menzies has hut back at his critics and gone into detail about his struggles with anxiety whilst performing on the big stage.

“I had only made the last eight of a Euro Tour once before as a Challenge Tour player. So when the game went to 5-5, the nerves just kicked in. My leg was shaking, and I’ve not had nerves like that before," Menzies explained to Tungsten Tales. “I felt like I was 18 again. My hand was shaking, and my heart was racing.”

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“You know how nervous I was when I miscounted. Usually, that is not something I do," he added. “I made a bit of a fool of myself. I’m getting dog’s abuse, with people saying it was tactics. I thought I had won. I just remember hearing that noise, then my heart sank. But because I had made that mistake, I wanted Mike to hit it. I wanted to be put out of my misery.”

As mentioned though, it wasn't facing Ryan Joyce in the next round that Menzies' tournament came to an end. As it turned out though, that brought 'Cammy' more relief than frustration. “With social media, I didn’t want to see it because it’s usually just nasty. I saw it, and in the end, I was happy Ryan Joyce played well because I just wanted to go to my hotel. I was done.”

Cameron Menzies in action

One of the reasons behind Menzies unique actions on stage is his anxiety. Something that people don't take into account when criticising online. “I struggle with anxiety. That’s why when you watch me talk, I look away all the time - I don’t like giving eye contact," he explains. “There are things people have asked me to get checked. I’m hoping to get it sorted because I am a nervous wreck.”

Nevertheless, Menzies continues to be a darter on the rise, with his next landmark in the Order of Merit very much in sight. “My target is to be a top 32 player. But my aim is always to keep my tour card because I know how hard it is to win it," Menzies concludes. “Going on from last year I would be more than happy if I could continue that because it was a pretty good campaign.”

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