Neil Duff: From joiner to world champion - meet 'The Duffman'

Northern Ireland's Neil Duff was almost 50 when he turned professional - but now rubs shoulders with darts legend Phil Taylor as he aims to defend his WDF World Championship title.

After last year's Lakeside triumph, he returned to Ballyclare to finish a loft conversion before finally replacing the tools of a joiner for a life at the oche.

It has been quite a tale for the 51-year-old - going from working on building sites from the age of 15 to being a world darts champion and soon to be playing on the World Seniors Darts Tour and MODUS Super Series.

Congratulatory messages poured in, including one from fellow Ballyclare man Jonathan Rea, the six-time World Superbike champion.

It's been a whirlwind year for Duff - 176 flights around the world to follow his passion and the chance to compete with some of the game's greats on the senior tour.

Taylor is among his friends on the seniors tour and Duff's ambition is to play a match against the 16-time world champion before he retires at the end of 2024.

Duff is a true latecomer to the sport, picking up the arrows for the first time when he was almost 30 and moving up each level before ultimately becoming a world champion two decades later with a 6-5 victory over Thibault Tricole in the WDF final, which earned him £50,000.

"It's a night I'm not going to forget in a hurry - it was my daughter's 18th birthday and to bring her up on to the stage was something really special," said Duff.

"That was my gift to her while it was nice to know I'd done it. I worked for three days after the Lakeside win but I knew then this is what I wanted to do and thankfully I've not had to lift a tool since.

"People probably think that you're a darts player so it's brilliant but you're really, really busy. All you see is an airport, hotel and venue and you're back out again.

"And you to have to start taking in a better diet and exercise. It's a lot less physical [than being a joiner] but a lot more demanding.

"I want to play Phil Taylor before he retires - we're actually good friends. The seniors is amazing and I sit in the players' room in awe at the conversations with these guys talking about the old days. Sometimes you just have to pinch yourself and think how has everything gone so surreal."

Duff will return to the Frimley Green venue to defend his world title with the tournament, which replaced the now-defunct British Darts Organisation's event, taking place on 2-10 December.

He has no plans to move to the big-money PDC tour, saying that "the booing of the crowd is not really for me".

One target is capturing a first World Senior Championship title at the Circus Tavern in February.

But his immediate focus is on retaining the WDF World Championship crown, and when asked if he's going to win it again, he was in no doubt.

Duff said: "100% - I want to be a two-time world champion and I want to be there on that Sunday night whenever they shout 'and still...'.

"I really, really do and I can't see me losing, put it like that. I'm feeling the same as I did last year; I've got that little buzz. I'm not scared of anyone and I'll give it my best shot.

"I'm probably at an advantage over the rest of the players because I don't have the battle scars from that stage.

"It's an iconic stage and a lot of players go out there and don't take to it - don't take to the crowd, don't take to the lights.

"I love it, I embrace it and I'll be the same again. Winning it put a big target on my back but I'll be cocky and abrasive - I can walk into any room and without being arrogant, there's no-one in there who's going to beat me."