Mervyn King has declared he would never play in the Premier League Darts again, even if he won the World Championship. In a candid interview with Tungsten Tales, the veteran, who is about to turn 60, reflected on his two-season stint in the competition, which ended after he lost his father and dropped down the rankings. "I had two good years in there and then I lost my father and went down the rankings," King said. "I've been very close to being back in there but they decided not to put me in it again. Fine, that's their decision." When asked if he'd ever want to return, he was unequivocal: "If I ever did win the World Championship I wouldn't play in the Premier League... I'd turn it down... I'd go and watch it, I wouldn't play in it."
King, a former world number four, is back on the PDC Tour after reclaiming his Tour Card via Q School. He aims to prove he can still compete at the highest level over the next two years, though he admits his game isn't quite where he wants it to be. "I'm not really setting goals," King explained. "My personal goals are to play as well as I can, get that throw back, that natural throw where everything feels part of me and you don't even have to think about it." He noted issues with fluency, saying, "It's not quite as silky smooth as it used to be. There's a little bit of jittery... if I can get back to that nice silky smooth throw without any juddering, snatching or pulling, then the 100 averages will come."
The comeback comes after a period marked by financial problems and bankruptcy, which King says still affects him. "Things are tight. Things are very tight because I've been relieved of some money through the trustees and the bankruptcy," he admitted. He tries to leave financial worries off the oche, focusing instead on performance: "I still want to be the last man standing at a tournament. That's the main thing for me. And if I do that, then the money will come with it." Despite the challenges, qualifying for the Worlds and regaining his card was "fantastic" and "unbelievable" to him.
At nearly 60, King has no plans to retire soon. "At least two years," he said of his tour future. "If I can start finding a bit of form and back to the really good darts again, then I might be around for a little bit longer than two years." He emphasized the mental side of the game, using visualization techniques he's always believed in: "Visualising myself in my mind lifting that trophy or shaking their hands at the end of the tournament—that's something I have always done and always believed in. It works." King also observed that young players today sometimes have "the wrong attitude" and disappear quickly, while he remains a learner: "I'm still learning at 60. I'm still learning this game and I'm still learning how to do things."
