"Once I won the Golden Ticket, I believed": Gates looks to go all the way after dumping out Taylor at Champion of Champions

Leonard Gates saw off Phil Taylor in the Quarter-Finals of the 2023 World Seniors Champion of Champions 10-8 after winning the Golden Ticket and it was a feeling like no-other for 'Soulger' to beat one of the greats on his home turf.

"When I first got into darts watching YouTube, he was the first guy that popped up as far as darts go. I watched more of his matches, I want to play that guy on the stage and I have it right now," said Gates to Online Darts.

"They cut the lights and I'm looking down the aisle like who is this guy coming down the aisle but in my mind I'm like who is this guy. He gets up there, the crowd, that's his world man. But to play him on this stage in his atmosphere was an awesome feeling."

In terms of winning the title, his feeling has never waned either and he believes he can go all the way. He also went on to play to Open Series that night to continue playing reaching the semi-finals.

"I think once I won the Golden Ticket, I believed that possibly even before I won it that I can go and win that. I'm not going to tell everybody, I'm not going to boast but I'm just like I'll keep it inside. When you keep it inside, you don't give that energy to anyone else."