Phil Taylor sees extra interest in upcoming World Darts Championship: ''It's going to be career-ending for some people"

The upcoming edition of the World Darts Championship will be the sixth consecutive edition where Phil Taylor is not competing. 'The Power' said goodbye after the 2018 edition and has been following the tournament on television ever since.

For the website OLBG, the 16-time world champion looked ahead to the darts spectacle at Alexandra Palace. According to Taylor, the tournament could mean the end of their careers for some players.

''They're all new faces now with all different people coming through, and I think this year’s World Championship is going to be career-ending for some people. I think it's all changing so fast. A lot of new players taking over,' said the 63-year-old darts legend from Stoke-on-Trent.

Which players is Taylor referring to? ''Well, there are a few players now defending a lot of money. I say career-ending, it’s going to be difficult to get back up to say the top rankings. Peter Wright is defending five hundred thousand. He needs to do well, and I’m sure Peter will. But there’s a few players who are clinging on. Mervyn King, fifty thousand pounds defending, and I don’t think he’s in the World Championship, so that’s going to drop his rankings down. When I say career-ending, that’s a bit over the top really. But it’s going to drop them down the rankings a lot. And, also, it’ll affect them to earn their money on the tournament side," Taylor said.

Finally, Taylor named his favourite for the world title. ''Michael Van Gerwen is my tip. His form is picking up, and you know his confidence is there. So, I’d tip him to win it.''