It's all right buying all these good players but they've got to gel, and that takes time.

I was born at the right time. I was a freak - the only young player when darts took off in the 1970s.

I like a drink, mate. I'll have maybe 10 or 12 pints on a good night out.

I was 15 when I got my first job as a proofreader for an advertising agency in the City, earning £12 a week. But by then, I was already playing darts tournaments every weekend, regularly winning the £50 first prize. By the time I was 16 and winning two or three contests a weekend, I ditched the agency job and concentrated on darts.

In 1987 I got dartitis, a psychological condition which means you can't let your darts go properly. For a time, I wondered what the hell I was going to do if I didn't recover. But I remained positive and, thankfully, got over it. It occurred during the Swedish Open when I found I couldn't let the darts go.

It's been a demanding season on our players. They're finding out that this is what it takes to be a successful team.