PHIL TAYLOR believes that he can still win major honours in darts, but is aiming to relax and enjoy the remainder of his illustrious career.
Taylor, who turns 56 next month, admitted earlier in 2016 that he was beginning to look towards retirement after almost 30 years at the top of a sport he has dominated since making his breakthrough at the 1990 World Championship.
The 16-time World Champion has dropped to fourth in the PDC Order of Merit, and after losing to Michael van Gerwen in Sunday's BetVictor World Matchplay final has now spent two years without a major ranking title.
Having cut down his appearances on the PDC ProTour and European Tour, Taylor admits that he will pick and choose which events he competes in - but that he's still aiming to challenge for major honours before he hangs up his darts.
"I would say I can still win a title," said Taylor, who has won a fourth Betway World Cup of Darts pairs title alongside Adrian Lewis this year and was a three-time World Series event winner in 2015.
"I've been doing this for a long, long time. Over the next year, year-and-a-half - and I think that's going to be the end of my career - I'm going to play for myself a little bit.
"I'm going to enjoy it. I'll be trying and I'll be practising, but I'm going to enjoy it a bit more. It's going up there, relaxing and don't worry about the consequences any more. When you're relaxed you play better."
Taylor admitted following Sunday's final that van Gerwen "bullied me", and said: "I've been lucky enough to be involved with the greats, this is the greatest as far as I'm concerned. This is a fella that's dominating like I did."
Speaking at an appearance with sponsors Target, he added: "If I'd played like I did in the semi-finals against Gary [Anderson] then I think I had a chance of winning.
"As good as Michael is - and he is good - he's just a different kettle of fish and he's got a knack of winding you up and making you try extra hard."