DENNIS PRIESTLEY admits he could look to retire from darts during 2010.
Priestley has enjoyed two decades at the top of the sport, picking up a brace of World Championships in an illustrious career.
Despite his treatment for prostate cancer over the past year, he has maintained his position inside the top ten on the PDC Order of Merit, actually moving up to eighth in 2009 with his performances.
A place in the top six would earn Priestley an automatic spot in the 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts, and a recent appearance against Phil Taylor in a Challenge Match in Sheffield whetted his appetite for one final crack in that event before scaling down his involvement in top-flight darts.
"I'd love to get in there by right next year and finish my career off with a bang," said Priestley, who is 59 in July.
"I've said that I'll pack in after my 60th birthday and just go [to events] where I want to go.
"If that keeps me in the limelight then so be it, if I drop out then that will be it."
Yorkshireman Priestley was given a great reception by the Sheffield Arena crowd recently, walking on in a Hawaiian shirt in tribute to the ill Wayne Mardle, who he replaced in the fixtures.
All eight players who played in Sheffield signed the Hawaiian shirt, which has raised over £500 in an online auction and will now be donated to Weston Park Hospital, where Priestley received his cancer treatment.
"It's always a special moment in any player's career when they play in front of their home crowd," said Priestley.
"It was fantastic, and I'd also like to thank the fans who bid on the signed shirt.
"The money will not only help people who have cancer but also go towards research into cancer."
See Dennis Priestley in action at the Blue Square UK Open, from June 4-7 at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton. Tickets are still available from the Reebok Stadium Box Office on 0844 871 2932, with prices starting at £10.
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