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Raymond van Barneveld salutes the Rotterdam crowd after his final match (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDc)

Raymond van Barneveld reverses his early retirement decision and will play on in 2019

By Chris Hammer

12:30 · FRI March 29, 2019

Raymond van Barneveld announced his retirement with immediate effect on Thursday night - but has reversed the decision less than 24 hours later.

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The Dutch legend's final Premier League Darts campaign ended in disappointment this week as he suffered a relegation-sealing 7-1 defeat to Daryl Gurney on Wednesday before failing to bow out on a high 24 hours later against Michael van Gerwen on Judgement Night, again losing 7-1.

It brought to an end his 210-game, 14-season run in this tournament, but his intention had always been to bow out completely at the 2019/2020 World Championship.

😢🎯 Raymond van Barneveld's 210th and final Premier League Darts walk-on, fittingly in front of Rotterdam's Barney Army.

It was, of course, emotional.pic.twitter.com/diCg38SLaf
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) March 28, 2019

However, despite the 10,000-strong Barney Army at the Rotterdam Ahoy Arena giving him rousing receptions before and after both games, the 51-year-old admitted he didn't feel "good enough" to qualify for the big televised majors or have the motivation and energy to keep trying having fallen well down the rankings.

Raymond van Barneveld has retired from darts with immediate effect! pic.twitter.com/ONm3ouacO9
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) March 28, 2019

After sleeping on his hasty and emotionally-fuelled decision, the 2014 Premier League champion, who also reached eight Play-Offs and fired in two nine-dart finishes (vs Peter Manley in 2006 and Terry Jenkins in 2010), Barney has decided to fight on after all in an attempt to play at the Alexandra Palace one last time.

In a statement on www.pdc.tv, he said: "For months my life has been a rollercoaster of emotions. In my private life there have been so many troubles, and as a dart player you try not to but you take all that with you on stage.

"I was humbled that I was given the chance to play in the Premier League this year and really wanted to show everybody the true Barney, but it was only glimpses that I could give.

"My personal problems got the better of me and I was always catching up to my opponents on stage. Yesterday all those emotions came together and I couldn't handle that at that moment.

"I felt ashamed on stage in front of my family, my friends and the Barney Army. I felt I let everyone down and that pain was very hard to deal with.

"In the heat of the moment I only wanted to never feel that again, but I realise that I should not speak out like that when I feel such raw emotion. I want to end my career at Alexandra Palace during one final World Championship.

"I hope people understand the difficult times my family and I have been going through and I need to get my head together.

"I will take a couple of days off for this and then try to compete as well as I can in the floor tournaments out of the spotlight in the coming weeks."

Raymond van Barneveld - forever the People's Champion.pic.twitter.com/nfMH3tVKLK
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) March 28, 2019

Thank you for all the Premier League memories, Raymond 👏

The departing of a Dutch legend, @Raybar180 pic.twitter.com/JBmp71qVYV
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 28, 2019