STEVE BEATON has stated his desire to win further silverware after claiming a Players Championship win on Saturday.
Beaton's victory over Wes Newton in the final of Saturday's event in Nuland saw him break an eight-year run without a tournament victory.
It was also the culmination of a fine run of form for the former World Champion, which has taken him from 37th in the PDC Order of Merit at the turn of the year to 28th at present.
Beaton has reached the last 16 20 times this year on the PDC Pro Tour in a remarkable display of consistency, and is delighted to have established himself back amongst the sport's elite.
"It was a brilliant win," said Beaton. "It's been a long time coming but I want to win tournaments.
"I want to be up there with the top few players in the game and I hated being out of the top 32.
"I'm pleased to be back in there now and I want to be fighting it out with the rest of the players.
"I've been trying all year to get back into the top 32. I had a good start to the year in Gibraltar by reaching a quarter-final and a semi-final, and both myself and Mark Dudbridge said after those events that it was a good way to begin.
"And I've just built from there really. I think I lost my way a bit in the last couple of years but I know I can still do it and it's a matter of showing that.
"It's very hard to get into the top 16, but I'd still love to do that again."
The past couple of years have seen Beaton, 45, take up regular running and even complete a 10k race for charity.
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"It's very hard to get into the top 16, but I'd still love to do that again," Steve Beaton |
"I moved house last week and it was a long week," he added. "Maybe a bit of exercise did me the world of good with carrying boxes around.
"I used to do that all the time, working on the roads or digging and things like that. Maybe the exercise, on top of what I do with running, did me good.
"With the move, my wife and I are starting afresh in a way but maybe this is a fresh start for my darts too."
Beaton has been a second round loser in both the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix recently, although he admits a loss to home favourite Jacko Barry in Dublin "hurt and upset" him.
"I was annoyed with how I lost in the World Grand Prix," he said. "The crowd weren't brilliant but they were supporting Jacko and I wouldn't make any excuses because I still had chances.
"I really should have been playing Raymond van Barneveld in the quarter-finals, but I'm still learning and it's something I have to get over.
"Maybe the win at the weekend is a reply to that. I'm fighting again and hopefully can be up there with the rest of them."
Steve Beaton will next compete in the European Championship, from October 29-November 1
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