Success as a darts superstar appears to have come at a cost for Gerwyn Price after 'The Iceman' revealed he 'misses his old life'.
The 37-year-old didn't make his major televised debut until the UK Open in 2017, but he's since gone on to enjoy whirlwind success in the sport's biggest events. Price clinched the 2021 World Darts Championship and is currently through to the quarter-finals of this year's tournament following a 4-1 thrashing of Jose de Sousa on Thursday evening.
But the divisive darts star has conceded an increasingly busy schedule comes with added pressures, bemoaning the amount of family time he's missed as a result. The former rugby prospect—who was once on the books of Glasgow Warriors—also spoke fondly of his days on the field, suggesting he'll look to trade the arrows for a pair of boots at any opportunity in future.
"I'm constantly thinking about my old life and when I used to play rugby," Price told Sky Sports ' Michael Bridge ahead of his fourth-round win over De Sousa. "When I used to be in better shape than what I am now! I didn't have to suck it in so much back in the day. I miss it, I miss my old life. I just want a little bit of it back.
"So I spoke to my wife about it a couple of months ago, and if there is one weekend I have off, then I'm going to put my boots back on and try to get myself back in shape and get back on the field, because I just need to do something I really enjoy again, which I really miss."
Price was once a hooker of considerable potential at Welsh outfits Cross Keys and Neath, with dreams of making it big in Wales' national sport. He began to take darts more seriously in 2014, however, when he earned a two-year PDC Tour card at Q School.
But his desire to spend more time doing what he loves doesn't mean the darts will suffer. If anything, his game promises to improve even further as Price detailed it's other work distractions on the side taking up unnecessary time.
“Next year I’m going to park the property business and focus as much as I can on the darts, and take some time out as well because my girls are 16 and 12, it’s [time] just gone like that [clicks fingers]," he added. "I need to spend more time with them and do a lot more family things.”
Price is through to the quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace for the fourth year in succession following Thursday's win over 'The Special One'. The Iceman is two years removed from his maiden World Championship title, and a second triumph at Ally Pally would only cement his conviction to keep competing at the top.
