World Darts Championship: Raymond van Berneveld announces intention to retire from professional darts

The 51-year-old will bring the curtain down on his glittering career on the oche in what will be his 35th year of competing at the highest level of darts.

The Dutchman told The Darts Show about his decision, which means that the upcoming World Championship at Alexandra Palace will be his penultimate visit to the home of darts.

"Next year is going to be my 35th year of playing darts at the highest level and it’s going to be my last year," said Van Barneveld.

Scroll down for his career highlights and video clips of his best moments

"I noticed in myself that I can’t keep up anymore, I know what I can do but it’s just not been happening for the past three or four years apart from winning the World Cup with Michael [van Gerwen].

Raymond van Barneveld roll of honour

PDC Televised Titles

• 2006, 2007 UK Open
• 2007 World Championship
• 2007 Las Vegas Desert Classic
• 2012 Grand Slam of Darts
• 2014 Premier League
• 2010, 2014, 2017, 2018 World Cup of Darts

Further Titles

• 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005 Lakeside Championship
• 2001, 2005 World Masters
• 1995, 2001, 2003, 2004 Zuiderduin Masters
• 2003, 2004 World Darts Trophy
• 2003, 2004, 2006 International Darts League
• 2007 Masters of Darts

"I'm not winning tournaments anymore, I don’t know why but a lot of things have happened in my private life and I’ve also noticed that my body isn’t feeling 100 percent anymore - I don’t have the drive, motivation or fitness to carry on.

"I'm a winner, that’s what I do – I lift trophies but I can’t do it anymore. Maybe there are still a couple of titles left in me and that would be amazing but I can’t do this every week anymore.

"I don’t want my career to fizzle out which is why I’ve made the decision to retire at the end of next year."

Van Barneveld won the Lakeside title in 1998, 1999, 2003 and 2005 before joining the PDC circuit in 2006 where he made an immediate impact, winning the UK Open title in 2006 before claiming glory on his PDC World Championship debut, defeating Phil Taylor 7-6 in the classic final which ended with a sudden-death leg.

He has since gone on to rack up 29 PDC titles, including another UK Open crown, four PDC World Cup of Darts wins, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Premier League to continue his success at the highest level.

Barney's best bits

Van Barneveld also became the first player to achieve a nine-dart finish in both the Premier League, in 2006, and PDC World Championship, in 2009, and has helped to inspire the growth of darts in the Netherlands during a superb career.

Van Barneveld will bid for a sixth world title in the 2018/2019 William Hill World Darts Championship and the doyen of Dutch darts is determined to go out on a high.

"I absolutely believe I can still be World Champion again in one of my last two attempts," Van Barneveld added.

"If you told me after my 2007 World Championship win over Phil [Taylor] that it would be my last World Championship then I would’ve said you were a fool, but in the last few years we have seen phenomenal players playing at an outstanding level.

"My grandmother always said ‘if you believe then you can achieve anything you want’ and I still believe I can do this, but not for many more years.

"When I retire I will be 52 and I’m really looking to spending time with my family."

Barney's televised nine-dart finishes

2006 Premier League; 2009 World Championship; 2010 World Championship; 2010 Premier League; 2010 World Matchplay

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