Painter still finds joy in darts: "My brain still thinks that I'm as good as I used to be"

Nearly 30 years after his first World Darts Championship appearance, Kevin Painter is still going strong and finding plenty of enjoyment in the sport, even if he isn't at the level he once was.

A former Premier League Darts player, World Championship finalist and Players Championship Finals winner in his pomp, Painter is now more often seen on the MODUS Super Series and the World Seniors Darts Tour. "It's the inconsistency now. My brain still thinks that I'm as good as I used to be," he says. "I have a job accepting that of course I'm not as good as I used to be when I was at my peak."

As mentioned, Painter was a World Championship finalist in 2004, losing out in one of the greatest finals of all time to Phil Taylor. "I mean it was a great final. Right at the start of the week I was feeling good," he recalls. "Of course when you play Phil at his peak as he was then, everyone had me down for a 7-1 perhaps 7-2 defeat."

"It was so close. The only disappointing thing for me was I didn't get a shot at a double," continues 'the Artist'. "We played on stage for three and three-quarter hours and I just didn't get a shot at a double to win it, which is disappointing. But listen you know, a lot of people remember that final. It was one of the greatest finals ever and I didn't do too bad."