Phil Taylor wants the Grand Slam back

Phil 'the Power' Taylor has roared ''I want my Grand Slam back' after making an early stop in Wolverhampton.

Taylor was at the city's Rileys Sports Bar on Broad Street for a darts exhibition last night, three weeks before the Grand Slam starts at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

'The Power' has won the tournament in three of it's four years in existence but gave up his crown last year, tumbling out to Steve Beaton in the quarter-finals.

Scott Waites took advantage and is the Grand Slam champion but Taylor wants the title back, having won three televised tournaments on the bounce.

And 'the Pele of darts' believes another Grand Slam would give him a psychological edge when he goes for world title number 16 at the end of the year.

He said: "It's massive for me, the Grand Slam, because that is a warning signal for the World Championships. Once you get beat in the Grand Slam, people start thinking 'hello, Phil can be beat.'

"But if I can win every tournament leading up to the World Championship, it's in their minds and I can get into the other players heads.

"You have got to get their respect and you earn respect."

Now 51, many critics believed Taylor's career was on the wane after his Grand Slam defeat last year, which came a month into a run of a year without winning a televised tournament.

But a fourth straight World Matchplay in July kicked off successes in the European Championships and World Grand Prix, making Taylor the man to beat once again.

Hre said: "I have just come to a stage now where I am thinking 'I might as well just enjoy what's left of my career now,' rather than put myself under a lot of pressure.

"If I had carried on losing, I would have retired gracefully, and the monkey on my back was a gorilla when the World Matchplay came along!

"I do enjoy it, though, people knocking me, because it's very satisfying when you can give it back."