"It will be a different me": Taylor vows improvement after hip surgery set for July as World Seniors extension confirmed

Phil Taylor signed his extension with the World Seniors Darts Tour until 2024 and in an attempt to get back towards his top level, he will undergo hip surgery in July.

This won't affect him in the short term with an injection meaning he can still play in upcoming tournaments including WSDT Champion of Champions this weekend.

“I’m having a new hip in July as I’ve got a couple of months spare, so I can recuperate and get ready," he said on the Online Darts' YouTube channel. "It will be a different me because when your hips goes you end up with back ache and you can’t stand properly, you can’t walk properly, so I’m really looking forward to this.

“I’ve had an injection so I’m pain free now for at least a couple of months anyway, and then I can get it done. I’m not producing half of what I can and everyone knows that so I’ve got to work at it, I know what I’m doing wrong so I’ve just got to work at it now.”

Speaking about committing his future, he said it has given him new goals and something to work towards in retirement.

"It's given me something to look forward to, something to get up in the morning and practice for.

“Now we know it's a secure tour. I can still play darts, I've just got to work harder at it now. I’m putting myself under too much pressure, I’m thinking about it, I didn’t think about it before.

“Now that I’m older, I think I’m getting too much respect for people and before I didn’t have any respect, I wasn’t interested in how good they were. But now I’m giving people respect, it’s just a mental thing really.”