Dimitri Van den Bergh announces at World Cup of Darts that he will step away from PDC Tour at 30

Dimitri Van den Bergh has made the decision to step away from the PDC Tour, stating that being a full-time professional is "just not good for my family".

The 30-year-old, who is currently the World No. 22, made his much-anticipated return to darts at the World Cup of Darts, teaming up with Mike De Decker to represent Belgium in the Frankfurt-based tournament.

It comes after Van den Bergh decided to step back from the sport indefinitely in April to focus on his health and wellbeing, after suddenly pulling out of a Players Championship match against Jose De Sousa.

Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad about his decision to withdraw from the Players Championship event, the Belgian said: "I was in a difficult position, so I had to take a step back."

Two months on and Belgium would secure a 4-1 victory in their Group B opener against Latvia, while Van den Bergh confirmed he would not be returning to the sport on a full-time basis.

"This doesn’t mean I’m going full tilt back into the grind of the PDC circuit," he said. "Being a full-time pro just doesn’t work for my family right now. We’ve got another baby on the way next month, and my priorities have shifted."

Van den Bergh added: "My manager and sponsors understand that. We’ve built a new strategy that still allows me to play at a high level but on my terms. I’d rather give 100 per cent to a few events than 20% to everything.

"I love to practice, reset, then come back strong. But now, it’s just tournament after tournament. So thank you to the PDC for all the opportunities, but this schedule isn’t the right way for me to play professional darts."

Van den Bergh's long-time manager, Mac Elkin, has previously opened up on his client's situation, acknowledging that the busy tour schedule had left the Antwerp-born player feeling "burnt out."

"I speak to Dimi every day and he sounds hugely positive," he said. "He has chosen to finally take a real rest. Dimi has been playing every tournament on the calendar for 10 years, and that has taken its toll. So like everyone else, he needed a break, to get away from it all.

"I'm sitting here in the sun right now, recharging my batteries. Only then will I feel like doing my job again. Just ask Luke Humphries and Michael Smith what they think of the busy schedule. For both, there was a moment in their careers when they wanted to quit."

Van den Bergh has won two PDC major titles – the World Matchplay and the UK Open. Image credit: Getty

Elkin added: "The season is so packed. And Dimi - who also has to travel often for tournaments - had to play everything because of his ranking. Then on top of that came the Premier League and the World Series. He just completely burnt himself out."