Phil Taylor’s darts career is OVER as 16-time world champion, 64, is forced to quit with ‘the worst pain I’ve ever suffered’

Darts’ greatest-ever player, Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor has admitted his illustrious career is finally over, after withdrawing from his last-ever tournament with an injury.

Sixteen-time world darts champion Taylor, has had to withdraw from the World Seniors Masters after struggling to recover from a hip injury, which forced him to undergo surgery this summer.

‘The Power’ said the recovery process has ‘left him in the worst pain ever’, and this has left him unable to throw a darts properly – let alone compete in a major tournament.

The World Seniors Masters is due to be held in November, and would’ve been the last-ever tournament for the sporting legend, who returned to playing competitive darts in 2022 after retiring as a professional in 2018.

Now, the Stoke-born 65-year-old has shared his disappointment without being able to call curtains on his career, one last time at the oche.

A 16-time darts world champion, Taylor retired from the sport professionally back in 2018

 Now 65, the sporting icon last won the PDC World Championship back in 2013

Speaking to Online Darts, Taylor admitted his hip injury specifically has forced him to pull-out of playing. 

‘I’m struggling a bit with my hip. Scar tissue,’ Taylor said in an interview. ‘Everything was going fine, but then I just did a little too much and apparently I’ve torn my scar tissue. So yeah, it’s a bit painful.

‘It’s been the worst pain I’ve ever had these last 12 months. Honestly, I’ll be glad when this year is gone,’ he continued. 

‘Practicing, I’ve been okay, but when you’ve been playing for a few hours there’s this really bad pain in the hip. It’s like having toothache and it drives me crazy, it really does.’

Reflecting on his career, Taylor remained upbeat about the experiences he’s had and that planned to stop playing full stop by the end of the year: ‘It’s been an unbelievable journey over the past 35 years and I’ve loved every minute of it.

‘I’ll always love performing to the best of my ability, but time waits for no man and I know now is the right time to step away from the Tour. 

I’m going to be working just as hard as I always have to make sure I give the fans what they want and go out on top.’

He has won 214 professional titles in his career, including 85 majors

Taylor’s career at the oche spanned a remarkable 35 years, starting in the BDO in 1987

Taylor won 16 World Championships during his professional career, lifting his first BDO World Championship in 1990, and first PDC World Championship in 1995. 

He would win the championship eight successive times, and then another seven through across career – the last being in 2013 when he sensationally defeated Michael van Gerwen 7-4.

He reached 21 world champs finals in total, won six Premier League titles, and led England to lift the World Cup four times. He won 214 professional titles and a record 85 majors in his career.