Featured Image Credit: Online Darts
Topics: Darts, World Darts Championship
Ryan Smart
Gary Anderson has named the five 'greedy' darts players that he says he could never be like.
The Scotsman, 55, entered the 2026 World Championship as a two-time winner of the event, in 2015 and 2016.
He reached the final in 2011, 2017 and 2021, and could do so again in 2026 as he has qualified for the first semi-final on Friday evening.
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Anderson has played some inspired darts at points during the World Championship, and defeated Michael van Gerwen 4-1 in the last 16 before a 5-2 win over Justin Hood in Thursday's quarter-final.
'The Flying Scotsman' is one of the most naturally gifted players that the sport has ever seen, and regularly reiterates the fact that he rarely practices in comparison to other top players.
In his post-match interview after beating Hood, a reporter asked Anderson whether he could have achieved more in darts if he had the mentality of a player like Phil Taylor.
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In response, Anderson named five players that he believes have been 'greedy' at different points in the sport's history, in that they needed, or need, to win - rather than simply wanting to win.
"Phil Taylor, Eric Bristow, [Michael] Van Gerwen, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler," he said. "To me, they're the players... I call them 'greedy'. It's not that they want to win, they need to win, because they're that good.
"It just keeps them going. 'I'm going to win this, I'm going to win that'.
"I've never been like that. That's my downfall. You come, you play, and you take what's given to you. And that's it.
"But at the same time, I've had a good life. I've got things outside of darts which I love to bit. And that's it.
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"I've enjoyed life. I've not spent all of my days at a dartboard. I've done things, seen places through darts. I've got my lakes [Anderson owns four fishing lakes] - I love my lakes.
"I've got my kids. They've got gymnastics, football, darts, whatever. If I was away all that time, that wouldn't happen. So I don't regret one little bit of it."