Glen Durrant Reflects on Premier League Glory and the Collapse of His Darts Career
Winning the 2020 Premier League Darts should have been the pinnacle of Glen Durrant’s career. And in many ways, it was. But for Durrant, that incredible victory also marked the start of an unexpected and painful downfall. Looking back, he still doesn’t quite understand how he pulled it off, especially considering the rapid decline that followed.
Durrant, a three-time Lakeside world champion, was already sensing something was off with his game when the 2020 Premier League got underway. The tournament, like everything else that year, was heavily impacted by the pandemic. After an early start in February, it was suspended for months before resuming in an empty Milton Keynes arena, leading up to a surreal, behind-closed-doors finale in Coventry.
“When I won, I turned around, and the only person looking at me was a cameraman,” Durrant recalls. “It was a surreal moment, but at the same time, I knew my game was going downhill. How I won that night… someone was looking down on me.”
He acknowledges that luck played a part, particularly in the semi-final against Gary Anderson. “I averaged just 87, but Anderson was using new, knobbly-ended darts. If he’d had his normal ones, I’d have been finished.” But something clicked in the final against Nathan Aspinall, and for one night, the old Durrant reappeared. “Confidence is everything,” he admits. “Nathan had just come through a grueling semi-final against Peter Wright, so the stars aligned for me.”
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But the momentum didn’t last. As he attempted to defend his title in 2021, the cracks widened. COVID restrictions meant players were confined to hotel rooms, and the mental toll was brutal. “I kept telling myself tomorrow would be better, but it never was,” he says. “I was going back to my hotel room crying, thinking, ‘I’m 51, I’ve won everything I ever wanted, and here I am.’”
A crushing 6-0 defeat to Dimitri Van den Bergh and the looming prospect of facing Michael van Gerwen the next night pushed him to his breaking point. “It destroyed me,” he admits. “Like a golfer with the yips or a boxer who suddenly becomes punch-shy, I lost my rhythm. I forgot the fundamentals of the game and started overthinking everything. I was just getting battered, and my love for the game disintegrated.”
By 2022, Durrant had had enough. The once-dominant player, who had climbed to the peak of the sport, was now suffering heavy defeats, and his confidence was beyond repair. He made the difficult decision to retire from professional darts.
But while his playing career may have ended, his involvement in the sport hasn’t. Now, he’s found a new passion in commentary and coaching. Working with Sky Sports, he offers insights from a player’s perspective, helping fans understand the mental and technical battles happening on the oche. “I love it,” he says. “I do a lot of prep work because I’m not a natural wordsmith, but I enjoy bringing the audience into the moment, explaining what players are feeling as they step up to hit a crucial double.”
Beyond commentary, he’s also giving back to the game through coaching, working with players at different levels, including fellow North-East pro Ryan Joyce. “Everyone wants to be the next Luke Littler, so I’m keeping busy!” he laughs.
Though he no longer plays professionally, Durrant has made peace with his journey. “I’ve got my love for the game back,” he says. “I don’t miss playing, but I’m still deeply involved, and that’s enough for me.”
His story is a reminder that even at the highest levels, confidence is fragile, and success can be fleeting. But for Durrant, the love for darts—whether playing, coaching, or commentating—will always remain.
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