Five-time world champion Raymond Van Barneveld announced his immediate retirement from professional darts after playing the final Premier League game of his career.
The Dutchman had already been eliminated in Rotterdam before he took to the stage on Thursday but a 7-1 defeat to compatriot Michael Van Gerwen convinced him to bring forward his plan to quit at the end of the year.
"Yesterday I don't know where it came from, I played really bad, I lost 7-1 so today I knew I was in relegation and I felt ashamed," he told Sky Sports.
"Five-time world champion and I was thinking 'do I deserve this? I don't think so' but it is reality. I'm not good enough.
"For me I've made a decision, I am done now. I'm OK with this decision. I'm relieved. I'm done."
However, Barneveld's manager Jaco van Bodegom later tweeted from the player's account that "Raymond had had a very tough 2 nights and in all his emotions he said he was gonne retire right away. I just spoke with him and we agreed it is better to take a couple of days to clear the mind and think about the future."
Raymond had had a very tough 2 nights and in all his emotions he said he was gonne retire right away. I just spoke with him and we agreed it is better to take a couple of days to clear the mind and think about the future. I hope everyone understand. Kind Regards Jaco van Bodegom pic.twitter.com/jLYgUdAPD3
— Raymond v Barneveld (@Raybar180) March 28, 2019
The 51-year-old signed off his 210th and perhaps last appearance in the competition in some style in Rotterdam with his last two trips to the oche seeing him throw 180 and 140.
But there was little mercy from Van Gerwen, current leader of the PDC Order of Merit, and it confirmed what Van Barneveld already knew.
"I don't have the energy to start from scratch again," he added.
"I can say to myself 'okay Ray, take some time off', but there is no time because at the end of the year is the world championship.
"I don't want the pain any more. It is good to see everyone loves you but they don't have one single clue what I'm going through.
"It's pain every single week for the last three or four years. I don't want the pain any more."
He stood to acknowledge his home crowd as the pyrotechnics lit up around him but fireworks of a different kind followed as James Wade won six legs from the last seven to move into third in the table with a 7-4 win over Michael Smith.
Second-placed Rob Cross recovered from 3-1 down to beat Jeffrey De Zwaan 7-4 with eight maximums, with Gerwen Price defeating Peter Wright 7-5 and Daryl Gurney sweeping aside Mensour Suljovic.
