Clayton – a two-time Darts World Cup winner – admits he has had difficulty focusing on his darts after losing his father, John, in July 2023.
The former rugby amateur says he has considered ending his career.
“This [career] it was over. I wasn’t interested, I didn’t want to play the game, I didn’t want to travel. It didn’t mean anything to me,” he added.
“At the end of the day, it’s my hobby. Some of these young players are coming through and that’s their job.
“I don’t want to talk about it after losing my dad, but it hurt.
“He was my inspiration to continue playing darts. So I said, “That’s it, I don’t want to do it anymore.”
“But when you have family that looks up to you and friends that believe in you, it means a lot to you and I thought I’d give it a shot.”
Clayton will face either Gerwyn Price or Joe Cullen in the fourth round of the World Darts Championship.
