Phil Taylor

“You don't realise the power of TV, it's all over the world obviously, and it's lovely.”

“I am on a fat-free diet for most of the year, but before 'the worlds,' I tend to relax on the diet a bit to concentrate on darts.”

“I'll never be able to stop working or playing darts.”

“People are determined to play well against me because they don't want to look silly and lose 6-0. But then, when I'm playing my best, it's weird. Their heads drop and it's like they're suddenly frightened.”

“When we play in the Pro Tour there's no crowds in, so you can concentrate better. The others play better as well, there's players who can't play too good on TV but on the floor when it's nice and quiet they can bang them in, let me tell you.”

“It's a sign you were playing well when you can't remember it.”

“I'm a quiet man.”

“You get about 20 people in the audience calling you a cheat. It hurts your feelings.”

“So much of sport is that mental attitude.”

“The world is a dangerous place and I've had a nice fanbase without any of the hassle.”

“It's been marvellous. I've had a fantastic career.”

“Money doesn't mean anything. It's just money.”

“We had this little yard, and during the summer holidays, when my mum and dad were working, I spent hours bowling a golf ball at a stick. Just bowling, bowling, bowling. And I got to where I could hit the stick every time, repeating the same action. That's where the darts came from.”

“I can sit down and watch the Discovery channel and see something on nuclear submarines that gets me thinking about torpedoes and darts . Or I can see a documentary about someone preparing for a big challenge and I'll use the same techniques. You always need to aim to get better.”

“Without me there wouldn't be a PDC.”

“When I was 30 I became world champion and that's when I started to make a living.”

“I used to watch a lot of people and think, 'You're not dedicated.' It's half an hour into the game and they have dropped their standard. They weren't putting the effort in.”

“My parents had nothing - just basic wages for all their hard work.”

“I hate suitcases. With a passion.”

“I've got a friend who has a juice business and he brings boxes round and fills up my fridge with fruit and vegetable juices.”