“I’ve enjoyed life. I’ve seen places, I’ve got kids, I’ve got things outside darts that I love” – Gary Anderson has no regrets about his career

Gary Anderson has once again reached the semi-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship. At 55, the Scot remains firmly among the world elite, doing things in his own relaxed way. In the semi-finals, he will face Gian van Veen.

After his convincing 5–2 victory over crowd favourite Justin Hood, Anderson impressed not only on stage but also in the press room. “It’s good,” he said afterwards. “It’s good to be back.”

Before reflecting on his own performance, Anderson was keen to highlight the atmosphere and his opponent. “The crowd, for a start. I’ve never heard noise like it,” he said. “Justin will take that to his grave. The chanting for him tonight was fantastic and he deserves every minute of it.”

According to Anderson, Hood has been one of the stories of the tournament. “What he’s done this year at the Worlds – nobody knew him, they know him now,” he said. “He’s a lovely, lovely lad, and honestly, if he’d beaten me tonight, I’d have been quite happy with that. He’s just a nice kid.”

The two-time world champion acknowledged that the overwhelming support may even have played a role in the match. “There was one moment when he was on 120. He went single, treble, then stepped back because he couldn’t see over the flight,” Anderson recalled. “I knew straight away he was going to hit it, and he did. I said that to him on stage.”

Despite the dominant scoreline, Anderson was not immediately satisfied with his own display. “The first four sets were a bit messy,” he admitted. “I was getting in front, then making a mess of the last nine darts.”

Only later did things start to click. “I moved across the oche a wee bit, started throwing quicker, and it seemed to come good,” he explained. “Once I got my run together, they went a heck of a lot better.” That was also the moment when Hood began to falter. “I kept the pressure on and he started to hit a few low scores. So I thought, right, we’ve got him now.”

With another semi-final secured, the question of experience inevitably arose. Anderson, who has lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy twice, played it down. “I don’t think it makes any difference now,” he said. “There are so many talented players.”

He did, however, offer a clear view on the current hierarchy. “Luke Littler is phenomenal, that’s simple,” Anderson said. “But to me, Luke Humphries is still the man. He’s spent the last two years defending his money and he’s still number two. He’s only just lost number one.”

As for Littler, Anderson believes the real challenge is still to come. “Now young Mr Littler’s got to do it all,” he said. “We’ll see how that goes.”

What stands out most is Anderson’s calm demeanour. “The thing about getting old is you get deaf as well,” he joked. “My hearing’s not so good nowadays, which is fantastic.” He did concede that nerves crept in earlier in the tournament. “The other night when I played Michael, I was panicking. I shouldn’t panic. But yeah, it happens.”

Still, being back among the final four clearly means a lot. “It’s just good,” he said. “It’s good to be back.”

Asked when he starts believing in a third world title, Anderson was blunt. “I don’t want to believe,” he said. “Take each game as it comes.”

He pointed to the difficulty of his route through the draw, referencing Adam Hunt, Connor Scott, Jermaine Wattimena and Justin Hood. “It’s not been easy,” he said. “But I enjoy it.”

Although his run has lifted him back towards the top of the rankings, Anderson remains unconvinced by numbers alone. “Averages are good, but they don’t mean you’re going to win,” he said. “I’ve averaged over 100 and lost to someone averaging 91.”

On the ranking system itself, his view was firm. “The rankings are fine,” Anderson said. “You’ve got two years to defend what you’ve won. That’s how it works.”

Away from the stage, family has played a major role during this championship. For the first time in years, Anderson has not been alone in London. “It’s been good,” he said. “I usually sit in a hotel room on my own.”

He joked about the downside too. “They’ve been shopping for three days. It’s cost me a bloody fortune, so I need to get out of here and save some money.”

Anderson also reiterated his appreciation for long-time sponsor Unicorn. “They’ve been with me since the dinosaurs,” he said. “They know what they’re doing.”

On the idea of reducing his schedule to spend more time at home, he was unequivocal. “Family’s always the most important thing,” Anderson said. “This is just a job. At the end of the day, family and friends, that’s what matters.”

When asked whether he ever regretted not dedicating everything to darts, Anderson’s answer was immediate. “Not one second,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed life. I’ve seen places, I’ve got kids, I’ve got things outside darts that I love.”

As for how long he might continue, the answer was just as relaxed. “I’ll keep playing as long as I enjoy it,” he said. “If I can still be doing this and loving it at 71, I’d be happy with that.”