DARTING deity Phil Taylor prepares for his swansong at the World Championships by insisting: My legacy will never be beaten.
And the greatest player ever to throw a set of arrows believes the seemingly unstoppable Michael van Gerwen would never have defeated him at their respective peaks.
On Friday night, The Power will walk out on the world stage — once again to the familiar beat of the famous track by Snap! — for potentially the final time in his illustrious career.
Regardless of how far he progresses at the William Hill World Championship — which kick off on Thursday at Alexandra Palace — Taylor relinquishes his Tour card on January 2.
And he will say goodbye to competitive darts.
But with 16 world titles, 16 World Matchplay crowns, 100s of tournament victories and nearly £7.5million of prize money banked, The Power is convinced his achievements will never be matched.
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In customary fighting-talk fashion, 57-year-old Taylor said: “Will my record stand the test of time? Yes, I think so.
“Of course, it could be beaten. But in terms of dominating, I don’t think so. There are too many good players now for only one to dominate.”
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Between 1990-2013 Taylor won 16 world titles and during that time no one dominated their sport quite like the Stoke thrower.
He single-handedly elevated the world of professional darts into the mainstream.
No one practised harder and no one outscored him.
Now a new generation has emerged and the leader of that pack, Van Gerwen, is the overwhelming favourite to retain the Sid Waddell Trophy.
World No 1 MVG, who faces Christian Kist in the first round on Thursday evening, has blitzed the competition this past month by sweeping up the past FOUR majors.
Yet Taylor feels that had the pair ever met at their pomp the 28- year-old Dutchman would have been battered on the oche.
Taylor laughed as he said: “It’s like the age-old debate between Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano and who would have won that fight.
“Well, I’d have done Michael. Trust me. I’d have done him mentally.”
The secret, Taylor feels, was his relentless drive to keep improving. He admitted to sacrificing precious time with his family in the pursuit of staying at the top of the world.
Even the four world final defeats still rankle to this day. He added: “My dedication always overrode my talent. One hundred per cent.
“I used to see other players enjoying themselves and fair play to them, they earned good money.
“But I thought, ‘You can’t do that. You can’t go out nightclubbing. You’ve got to stay in. You’ve got to do this. Your reputation is on the line’.
“To be the best, you have to keep moving forward. You have to be selfish, cocky and dedicated.”
Taylor faces a tricky first-round assignment against Chris Dobey.
The Power is ranked No 6 in the world and could easily have carried on into his 60s — and carried on banking the cheques.
As he showed with his memorable World Matchplay triumph in Blackpool in July — where he beat THREE world champions — Taylor has not yet faded into insignificance.
The decision to quit at the end of the 2017 season was made in the emotional aftermath of his exit from last year’s World Championships at Ally Pally.
But he remains adamant the time is right to retire, despite PDC chief Barry Hearn’s constant attempts to make him to change his mind.
Taylor added: “I have no regrets with my decision. This is the perfect time to go. Robbie Williams’ dad, Peter, who is like a second dad, my Yoda, told me I would wake up one morning and just know I’ve had enough.
“At my age, I can’t keep up with the youngsters any more.
“It’s the tiredness. I’ll go to hotels and I can’t sleep properly. Maybe I’m going through the menopause.
“Plus, I can’t keep up with the practice anymore.
“I cannot do four to five hours now. After half an hour or so, my eyes start to go.
“With age, your eyesight and energy levels go. To be a top darts player, you have to be fit and healthy, wide awake.
“If you go into a final feeling tired against someone who is two-thirds your age, you will lose.”
It would, of course, be typical Taylor if his last act is to win the PDC world crown for a record 17th time on New Year’s Day.
Remember, it was only three years ago he reached the world final and had opportunities to beat eventual winner Gary Anderson.
Taylor insisted there will be no tears when it comes to the end.
Contrary to much speculation, there will be no Frank Sinatra-style comeback.
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In 2018, he will embark on a round-the-world tour, playing exhibitions in Germany, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, North America, New Zealand — and even Vanuatu in the South Pacific!
Wherever he ends up, Taylor knows his name will be forever associated with winning.
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He said: “Of course, it would bother me if I lost in the first round but it wouldn’t affect me — I won’t throw my toys out of the cart.
“I’ve had an incredible time. But ask me to sum up my career in one sentence?
“Hmm . . . successful. That’ll do.”
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