Taylor In Determined Mood

Phil 'The Power' Taylor insists he is aiming to secure his 16th Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship crown.

He admits that winning the competition an unprecedented fifteen times already has not dulled his determination to succeed at the forthcoming event, which starts at Alexandra Palace on December 16.

Taylor is the overwhelming 4/6 favourite with the darts championship odds to win the title, with nearest challenger James Wade at 8/1. Others in the running include Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld at 10/1, Scottish sensation Gary Anderson (10/1) and Australian Simon Whitlock (12/1), who Taylor beat 7-3 in last year’s final.

‘The Power’ starts the defence of his title against Gary Mawson or Juanito Gionzon.

Speaking to Sky Sports News Radio, the Stoke-born thrower said: "I think you're either self-motivated or you're not ... and I am.

"I get asked about my motivation so often, even by other sportsmen. But I just love the challenge of playing and love competing against different players from around the world.

"It's what I do for a living, it's my job and I love it. There's an old saying - 'if you find a job you love you will never have to work again' - and that's exactly right."

The Power is aiming to win his third successive Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship this time around but he is not coming into the competition in the greatest of form.

He lost to Steve Beaton in the last eight of the Grand Slam of Darts before he and partner James Wade were dumped out of the World Cup by an unremarkable Spanish outfit.

However, darts championship betting pundits note that Taylor is not dwelling on these setbacks and is fully focused on the tournament itself, believing he will hit his stride at exactly the right time.

He admits that there is no point looking too far ahead regarding who he could play and says he will aim to pick off his opponents one at a time. Despite this short-term view though, this hasn’t stopped him from focusing on winning the title once again.