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James Wade battled back from behind to be crowned the Players Championship 30 champion on Saturday evening, landing his first ranking title in almost two years and putting a ‘lazy and complacent’ period behind him.
Wade fought back from 5-2 behind in the title decider against a revived and reinvigorated Steve Beaton, who had secured his 22nd successive World Darts Championship appearance in the midst of a remarkable run in Barnsley.
It was a first success since last March’s UK Open for the legendary ten-time major champion, with notable victories over Martin Schindler, Jermaine Wattimena and Friday’s surprise runner-up Gian van Veen.
“I needed that a lot,” expressed Wade in conversation with PDCTV’s Dan Dawson. “I haven’t been doing quite so well because I haven’t been that keen. But it’s a new page and a new venture for me, and I’m really keen again so that’s good.
“I think I’ve got a little bit of love back for the game, and it’s quite nice when people are writing you off a little bit. That’s the best thing in the world and it’s the easiest thing in the world to shut people up.”
It was a Bonfire Night triumph for the world number five and Wade also revealed post-match that fireworks exploding outside the Barnsley Metrodome helped him overturn the three-leg deficit against Beaton.
“Steve should have won that game,” an honest Wade noted. “I believe that I won that game because I could hear fireworks in the background. As soon as I heard those fireworks in the background, Steve didn’t start playing so well.”
Despite him only now claiming an elusive accolade this season, Wade had produced a scintillating standard during the early months of this year before falling away after being hospitalised whilst competing in Germany.
His fantastic form had earned him a place in May’s Premier League Play-Offs and witnessed him land a nine-dart finish at March’s UK Open, although Wade was critical of himself ahead of needing to enter Sunday’s last chance Grand Slam of Darts qualifier.
He added: “It’s my own fault for the position that I’m in. I’ve done it myself – I’ve been lazy, I’ve been complacent, I haven’t been tuned in with myself and the game, and that’s why I’m finding myself playing tomorrow.
“It’s about the mindset and the keenness and the hunger. If you’re hungry and you’re keen, you win titles. If you’re not, you don’t. And, I haven’t been keen or hungry for 24 months.
“There’s also a difference between hungry and keen and needing to win a bit of money. Not for me or the James Wade household, but I need to win some things to get me back up the rankings so that’s what I’ll do.”
