"That was the first one I thought, Jesus, this is hard work" - Charlie Manby finds out the brutal sacrifices in first full year on PDC Tour

Charlie Many has found his first year as a fully-fledged member of the PDC Tour 'disheartening' at times as the 21-year-old gets to grips with the challenges of competing alongside the best players in the world on a regular basis.

Manby first made his mark in the PDC at Ally Pally where he reached the fourth round of the tournament on debut before losing to eventual finalist Gian van Veen. A talented darts player with the confidence to back it, he followed that run by securing his Tour Card at Q-School a month later.

The Huddersfield thrower has since shone at times, making the quarter-final stage of Players Championship seven and eight in a positive week. A run to the fourth round of the UK Open as well as making his European Tour debut at the International Darts Open.

The early signs from the young talent look good, but there is still a lot to learn as a tough spell as of late has seen his form slightly dip with wins becoming more scarce. On top of that, the gruelling demands of the ProTour leads to other challenges and dilemmas as he continues to find that balance.

He discussed his first year on the PDC Tour on the Tops and Tales podcast. “I am enjoying it. I think I have done alright as far as new Tour Card holders this year," he said. “How many new card holders are there this year? 20-odd. I am fourth best. I have a lot of time left."

Manby still has another year to get into the top 64 in the rankings to keep his Tour Card, but the early signs are promising with his ambitions fuelling a long career at the top of darts. “I want to do this for a number of years. It is not just retaining my Tour Card. I want to climb up the rankings and get into the majors."

He has had to overcome some tough times. “I have dealt with it alright because it is hard at times," he admitted. “The difficult thing is you can play first game and average 107 and lose in the first round. But then you can also average 92 all day and get into the final. It is disheartening when you are losing games but are playing well.

“It does work both ways if you are playing not so good and picking up wins. It’s just a bit disheartening knowing you are playing very well and can’t get over the line and not going up the rankings, earning any money. That is the hardest thing.”

With playing in all these tournaments, 'Champagne Charlie' has been forced to travel around a lot, whether it is in the UK or Europe to ProTour events, exhibitions and Development Tour competitions. The price to pay to make it to the very top.

He recalled his start of the year. “When it all comes at once, I think February at the start of the year was just hectic for me," he outlined.

“I think I went to Germany for the first ProTours and came back, flew into Heathrow, went straight to an exhibition in Great Yarmouth. Then we went straight from there to Wigan and it was a long drive. Then I might have had a day or two at home, then gone to Leicester. It was a week in Leicester because I had the Dev Tours followed on from the ProTours."

All of this really caught up with him. “It was a good three weeks of just constant darts. The days off you would have, you would be travelling. That was the first one I thought, Jesus, this is hard work.

“But only because it was the travelling here and there from one place to the other. You always felt like you were in a car or the plane or train station. Even when you are sat on a train, it is not hard work but it feels it. You feel like you’re knackered. I have travelled so far. But you have been sat on a train for three hours doing nowt.”

Manby has a big end to the year lined up. In line to qualify for both the PDC World Darts Championship and the Players Championship Finals, his big stage prowess may come into full show as he looks to take on the best players in the world and add some more ranking money next to his name and finally see his name edge further up the order.