Phil Taylor retired after the 2018 PDC World Championship while Raymond van Barneveld followed suit after the 2020 PDC World Championship but for PDC Chairman Barry Hearn, he admits they are not missed in the current darting climate.

“That's not meant disrespectfully to Raymond. I am a big fan of Van Barneveld, just like Taylor. But sometimes the hourglass is empty. Then the desire is no longer there. I thought Taylor had stopped playing darts too early, and I think Barney also retired too soon, ”Hearn tells RTL News .

For Hearn, while he believes that, he knows it is entirely their decision. “I am not Phil Taylor and I am not Raymond van Barneveld. When they feel the time is right, I applaud that decision and hope they can enjoy the rest of their lives. ”

Finally, as someone who oversees the whole sport, Hearn admits that while they are heroes that darts as a sport is fine without them. “Of course I would have liked Raymond and Phil to still play, but I understand their reasons. And darts is big and strong enough to develop talent, so they are not missed. They are among the heroes of yesteryear, ” he concluded.