"Unfortunately probably I needed it six or seven years ago": Mickey Mansell doesn't see Grand Slam run as life changing in honest assessment

Mickey Mansell prevailed in what was a real war of attrition against Cameron Menzies at the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts which he won 16-15. He now reaches the semi-finals in Wolverhampton.

But despite the finances that come with such a run, he was less about narratives and more about realism saying that in his life and given the hardship he says he has dealt with, he needed it six or seven years ago over now.

He also called out the narrative surrounding the pressure perceived to be heaped on the top boys saying that to stay on the tour is in fact a lot more difficult.

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"Firstly I'm glad to be on the right side of it. I've probably touched a bit of wood from the World Championship last year I wouldn't have been in that position against Brendan (Dolan). This time whenever it goes down the stretch, it's unbelievable to win one of those last leg deciders," said Mansell post match.

"I kept straight and I knew it was one big treble. Looking at Cameron, the two of us were under serious amounts of pressure. He give me second opportunities, I gave him opportunities. All I was thinking was just one treble here and I'll punish it because of how I was scoring when I hit one dart high in the treble."

"I'm at the stage in my career where something like this unfortunately probably I needed six or seven years ago. But it is what it is. I probably wouldn't be in the position I'm in and the hardship that I've went through. It's all a learning curve. Not everyone is like a Luke Littler that you can walk in here and start winning stuff. It's a tough shift."

Cameron Menzies exuberance was perhaps his undoing as he hugged Mansell multiple times after the tie and was the talk of social media. Mansell said perhaps he showed too many cards comparing it to a poker game.

"I said earlier on in the week about being a poker player. He showed a lot of cards. Probably would've given a bit back but I just couldn't get on top of the whole thing. If I would've went three legs in front, I probably would've went big time. I never got that opportunity. I was trying to keep my emotions in check. I was reading him a little bit but saying that he was finishing any opportunity he got so I knew there was an opportunity but for me I wasn't capitalising on it. It's nothing to do with Cameron, it was me not capitalising on the opportunity coming my way."

He also hit out at the narrative surrounding the top 16 vs the top 64 onwards saying that the top names who earn as much as they do don't feel pressure really.

"Apart from if you take the 32 probably 40 players. Probably after that it's a hard work ethic to stay on the tour. I don't think people appreciate or know how hard it is to stay on the tour. I've heard a lot of narratives about the boys at the top talking about pressure. If you're in the top 16, top 32 in the world and you're making probably 300,000 over a two-year period, you're not really dealing with pressure. If you come back to top 45, 50 to 70, those boys are dealing with pressure. The top boys is very privileged in the money that they're making, but anybody else down the rankings is dealing with, for me, they deal a lot more pressure on the boys at the top."