EMOTIONAL Jonny Clayton considered quitting this year as he struggled to cope following the death of his dad.
The Ferret – who turned 50 in October – advanced the hard way yesterday as he let slip a 3-0 lead before progressing 4-3 against determined Daryl Gurney.
Clayton, a strong contender to make the 2025 Premier League line-up, lost his father John – “my biggest fan” – in July 2023 on the eve of a flight Down Under.
Over the past year-and-a-half, Clayton has lost his way, lost his motivation and almost gave up the sport for good.
The former plasterer admitted: “It was over. I won’t lie to you. I had no interest.
“I didn’t want to play the game, I didn’t want to travel. It meant nothing to me.
“The guys were all flying to Australia or New Zealand for events and I lost my dad the morning of that flight.
“Darts is my hobby. For some of these youngsters, it’s their job. This has always been my hobby.
“When I lost my dad, it hurt. He was my inspiration to keep playing. I said: ‘That is it. I don’t want to do it any more.’ I couldn’t be bothered.
“But when you have family looking up at you, and have friends that believe in you, it means a lot.
“I said to myself: ‘I would give it a chance.’ You are playing a hobby you are good at. Give it another go. That’s what I am trying to do.
“At the beginning of the year, I was rubbish, I couldn’t put anything together.
“The second half of the year they started to wake up, I won a ProTour, I went deep in some others. Little things like that happen and then they give you belief.”
Clayton, a former plasterer, won the Premier League three years ago and when he is on fire, he has the game to go deep at the majors.
But he has never been beyond the quarter-final stage of the Worlds.
He said: “I’m 50 – I’ll be on the Seniors Tour not that long now.
“We’re all chasing a dream, we all want to lift that trophy.
“To do that, I need another one, maybe two gears now.
“I don’t think I have much left in darts – these youngsters have a long time.
“I’m trying to do as good as I can now because my time is running out.”
