PHIL TAYLOR has spoken of the influence Eric Bristow had on the sport's greatest-ever career, following the five-time World Champion's death.
Bristow passed away on Thursday night following a heart attack, with tributes pouring in from across the sporting world for the charismatic "Crafty Cockney".
Taylor, though, enjoyed arguably the closest relationship with Bristow of any player after being sponsored and mentored through the early years of his own career.
Bristow suffered at the hands of his protege in the 1990 World Championship final as Taylor claimed a huge upset victory to announce his own arrival on the sport's biggest stage.
The pair remained close throughout the following years - enjoying a classic World Championship semi-final in 1997 as Bristow enjoyed a final fling at the Circus Tavern in his battle against dartitis.
Taylor, who retired at the start of 2018, has now spoken of his memories of Bristow, admitting: "Eric was like a brother to me - I loved him. Quite simply I owe him everything.
"I wouldn't have achieved what I did without him being a mentor and sponsoring me in the early days. I couldn't afford to go to Rhyl let alone Canada or Las Vegas to play darts!
"Probably his biggest influence on me was the winning mentality. Like my mum and dad, he was very strict with me, he didn't want to talk to me unless I'd won an event.
"I would ring him up and say I’d made the semi-final or lost the final and he shout at me 'Only ring me when you've won' and slam the phone down.
"But that gave me the drive and hunger to succeed and I needed that at the time.
"That mentality is his legacy, he started it, made me like it and now the standard will continue to go up because of him.
"He was the first superstar of darts, he started the success it is today. There were other big names of the time like Alan Evans, Leighton Rees, Jocky Wilson and John Lowe, but Eric put darts on the back pages of every tabloid newspaper.
"Everybody knew who Eric was and they still do, the biggest name in the sport. Even when I go about my normal life, I still hear Eric telling me stuff in my head, that will never change.
"To be honest, it hasn’t really sunk in that he’s gone. I’m still in a bit of shock. I will miss him so much."