"It's not about having a laugh anymore. It's just so deadly serious" - King misses the Pro Tour camaraderie of yesteryear

Mervyn King has dropped to 34th place in the world rankings. Still, the now 57-year-old Englishman is not yet thinking about the end of his career.

King, a three-time major winner with the BDO and seven-time major finalist with the PDC, has been competing at the international darts top for about 30 years. In recent months, however, he has found it particularly difficult to produce any appealing results.

"When you go down there's only one way and that's back up," King laughed in conversation with Darts Actueel. "I'm not here to make the numbers up." When asked if he has a plan to get back to the top? "Win!" he emphatically replies. 

Being a veteran of the game, King has seen darts change over the years and in his mind at least, not necessarily for the better in some aspects. "It's not about having a laugh anymore. It's just so deadly serious and you've got to be lighthearted about what you do, otherwise, it will grind you down. You've got to be having a laugh and a joke somewhere."

"Listen if I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't still be playing," King continued. "If you chopped my arm off it would have darts written inside, a bit like Blackpool rock. It's in my blood, it's what I do."