Darts legend Taylor still has the power to dominate

At 49 you might be forgiven for thinking he's about to ease himself towards retirement, having won every honour in the game. But Taylor plans to carry on winning for years to come

He said: "I don't even think about it anymore, I just move on to the next one. It's like any job, you have to keep moving forward and trying your best. I'm very self-motivated and my next target is always to win whichever tournament I'm playing.

"I want world title number 16, and I hope that won't be that be the last. I've no plans to retire.

"I know Robbie Williams' dad, Pete, and he said you'll know when the time comes and I think I will, but it'll be a long way off yet because I still thoroughly enjoy it."

Taylor only took up darts seriously in his late 20s, turning pro in 1988. He won his first world title in 1990, going on to dominate the sport for 20 years.

He's bringing his talents to The O2 for the first time on February 11 in the Barry Hearn promoted Premier League, where he will face Whitlock (pictured left) in a world final rematch.

"It's kicking in with a bang," he said. "Barry's not stupid, pairing me with Simon in the first match. I've not seen Simon since the final, really, apart from the day after when we did some media work.

"I think he went back to Australia for a few weeks but I'm sure he'll be looking to get his own back."

The Premier League, started in 2005, sees the world's top players competing in a series of matches around Britain for a top prize of £125,000.

Taylor, who won the first four tournaments, is a big fan of the format and is keen to regain the title won last year by James Wade.

He said: "It's great, like having a world championship every week, and all the players enjoy it. It's going to be very close this year, everybody will play well because the prize money is big.

"It's very difficult to win. You can't be ill and you have to be on your game every week. It's about being consistent over a long period of time, which some players can find difficult.

"I've not been to The O2 before but I'm looking forward to it. It's a new venue for the sport and it should attract some new people to come and watch."

The biggest issue in darts is the split in the game. The British Darts Organisation (BDO) saw the top players leave in 1993 to form the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), now the pre-eminent darts body. Taylor feels it won't be long before the two are reunited.

He said: "The BDO would be fools if they don't heal the rift. Their world championship this year was very poor. There were about 24 players in it I didn't know.

"The best players are coming over to the PDC because the money's massive. They'd be daft not to make the switch, and I think the BDO knows its days are numbered."

Tickets, priced at £20, for the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts are available from 0844 856 0202 or from theo2.co.uk.