After winning the European Championship, Ross Smith has set out his ambitions for the coming months. The Englishman claimed his third major title on Sunday evening in Dortmund by defeating Martin Schindler 11-8, thereby climbing to sixth place in the world rankings. Smith is now hoping for an invitation to next year’s Premier League Darts, although he realises that decision is not entirely in his own hands.

Four years after his first European title, Smith was once again able to lift the trophy in Dortmund. It also marked his second major title of 2026, having already won the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam in September. After the match, ‘Smudger’ struggled to put his emotions into words.

"I don't know, to be fair. It's a bit of a strange one, do you know what I mean? I'm absolutely buzzing, absolutely buzzing," said Smith to Online Darts.

"Yeah, I don't know what to say, to be fair. I'm buzzing, I'm happy. I've won a major title. Life's good, I'm happy."

Smith not yet used to winning

Despite winning three major titles now and a dozen overall in the PDC, it never gets easier for Smith and he said that hopefully if he wins more majors, he will get used to it. "Mate, honestly, I'm not used to it, am I? So, I don't know. If I win more, then hopefully I'll get better at these conversations."

But also it has been a year that has seen Smith reach different crescendos including winning multiple European Tour titles which has hugely helped him to reach this point. "Playing on the European Tour, honestly, I think the European Tour is absolutely massive. For me, they're like playing majors at the end of the day. You're playing in front of 3,000, 5,000 people, whatever it is.

"It's no different from playing in what we're doing today. That helps massively. I think the European Tour has definitely helped me out in the long term, and obviously winning the World Series as well."

Order of Merit boost

Reaching a career high of World No.6 in this week's Order of Merit, he has ambitions though to go higher and won't stop until he does. "Yeah, it feels great, mate. It feels absolutely brilliant, to be fair. I'd like to go a bit higher, I'm not going to lie.

"Just knuckle down, and there are many more majors coming up. There's another three, isn't there, for the rest of the year? So, yeah, let's push forward and get into that top four or something like that."

Ross Smith does it again.

Potentially he could soon be top four and Smith said that while it's not the be all and end all, it is something he will look towards and with not defending much of anything for a while, it could happen quicker than thought.

"Yeah, of course, it'd be amazing to be in the top four. It's not the be-all and end-all for me, but obviously, as a player, I want to go as high as I can.

"But at the same time, I look at things like the World Matchplay. I've lost in the first round there for the last two years, so I've played awful. I'm not actually defending anything. If I'd actually done half decent, I think I'd already be in the top four. But, yeah, that's darts and that's life. Just knuckle down and get on with the next one."

Told he is now part of the elite, Smith said that he believes he is anyway, but still has the issue like most that feasibly he could turn up to any event and lose early. "Yeah, of course I do. I believe I can beat anybody. But I'm also realistic enough to know that if I don't turn up, I'm going to get done as well.

"But, yeah, of course I do. You don't win three majors with no confidence and things like that, with other titles included as well. I'm feeling really good. I definitely feel like one of the elite players. Why wouldn't I?"

Premier League talk

Premier League chatter now begins and for Smith, he was coy when asked about the phone call to be part of the roadshow. "I don't know, because I've never had a phone call. Listen, again, I keep saying it: it's actually out of my hands. I can't do any more than what I'm doing. I'm winning games and winning titles. I've come here as the number one seed and I've picked the title up.

"I don't actually think I've played that great this week. But I take a lot more positives out of that than negatives. I've won ugly in certain games, and I've really dug deep and done a professional job.

"But again, with the Premier League, it's out of my hands. I don't pick the Premier League. But if I'm asked, if I get a phone call or an email or a text, because I don't know what it is, from Mr Porter or Mr Hearn, then obviously I'd be over the moon and happy. But if I don't, I'll knuckle down next year and get on with it, because life's bloody good. I love it."

Pressed on if he thinks he deserves it, Smith of course given that he's missed out before never wants to count his chickens. "I think you'd have to... Yes, at the moment, definitely. At the end of the year, who knows?

"There's another three majors to come. Who knows? It depends what other players do. But yeah, right now, of course I do. I've won two majors. Again, I've finished number one on the Order of Merit in Europe, won a couple of European Tours. Yeah, of course I do. I feel like I do. But again, I'm not the one who picks it. It's a bloody shame, isn't it?"