Steve Beaton aims to enjoy some more golden years: 'Then I will be more than happy'

The Bronzed Adonis has been a permanent fixture in the PDC for the entirety of the 21st Century. One of a handful of UK Open ever-presents, Beaton recently made headlines by at Minehead. Speaking to , the 54-year-old revealed that he has plenty left in the tank. "I'm getting paid for something I enjoy doing. I don't think other players realise how lucky we are. "When I won the Worlds (Lakeside 1997) the darts was struggling. It didn't have the money that's involved with it now. "The opportunities everybody's got now is unbelievable. I wish I could turn the clock back 20 or 30 years!" He added later: "If I can last another few more years I'll be more than happy."

On his UK Open run, Beaton admitted his frustration at his run ending prematurely. The Coventry thrower was thrashed 10-1 by Michael Smith in the quarter-finals.
"I'm always hanging around, I'm there or thereabouts most of the time.
"I'm just a bit disappointed I didn't go further.
"In the end, Michael Smith did play well, especially his finishing. I needed to keep on top of him, but he ran away with it.
"I'm happy with the weekend, really."

Beaton has been present during an incredible transformation in the game. The modern iteration of darts has the Premier League, the World Series, massive prize funds and a new wave of players coming through worldwide tours and the Development Tour. The darting veteran has certainly noticed the influx of talent. He offered his thoughts on how they can get even better. "The standard at the moment is unbelievable. "The youngsters coming through - they've got no fear, they just seem to get up there and win. "But the thing is, they're going to have a come-down sooner or later, they can't always stay up there. It's how they deal with it long-term, really." And if anyone can talk about the long term with authority, it's the Bronzed Adonis.