Clayton was a major outsider with bookmakers to win this yr’s match. He wasn’t even fancied to make finals evening.
Given his file, it was one thing that clearly rankled with the previous plasterer.
Talking on the Premier League media launch in early February, Clayton stated: “It motivates me alright as a result of folks do not charge me, clearly they charge the others extra. Let’s examine on finals evening.”
A 6-4 victory in opposition to Luke Littler within the Rotterdam closing final day out earned Clayton back-to-back evening wins for the primary time this season.
He now holds a 16-point buffer over defending champion Luke Humphries who’s fifth going into evening 12 in Liverpool on Thursday.
“He has sewn up a spot on the O2 in London,” Sky Sports activities pundit Wayne Mardle stated of Clayton after his triumph in Rotterdam.
“Jonny Clayton can be there, that’s sure. He’s thus far away from the remaining.”
Every week earlier, Clayton produced a outstanding comeback to win 6-5 in opposition to seven-time champion Michael van Gerwen in Brighton having been 5-2 down within the closing.
After his victory in opposition to reigning world champion Littler in Rotterdam, Clayton revealed he re-watched his win in opposition to van Gerwen from every week earlier.
“I do not watch many video games again, however I watched final week’s sport in opposition to Michael and it harm slightly bit when anyone stated I used to be favorite to complete backside. That basically harm,” he stated.
“That basically irritated me to be sincere. It is going nicely for myself and I’ve bought a large smile on my face.
“I have been right here thrice earlier than and I’ve completed finals evening on every one.”
At 51 Clayton is comfortably the oldest participant on this yr’s area, though he’s persistently proving to be a thorn within the facet of the sport’s youthful skills.
And with the £350,000 Premier League winner’s prize nonetheless nicely inside his sights, Clayton can haven’t any doubts that his long-delayed full-time transfer into darts was totally justified. After which some.
