Ian White has been an established name on the PDC circuit for many years, but the experienced Englishman is finding it increasingly difficult to compete among the world's elite. Where 'Diamond' once regularly collected titles and was a familiar face at major televised tournaments, he is now fighting to retain his place on the professional circuit. Retirement, however, is still a long way from his thoughts.

Speaking to Online Darts at the launch of Unicorn's 2027 collection, White opened up about his decline in the rankings, the emergence of younger players, the increasingly demanding darts calendar and his future in the sport.

White makes no secret of his disappointment with his current position in the world rankings. At the same time, the Englishman recognises how much the standard across the PDC has improved in recent years, particularly with the younger generation continuing to make its mark.

"Yeah, everything's going okay. Enjoying life. Not where I want to be in the rankings, but it is what it is. These kids are getting good, so we've just got to keep going," White told Online Darts.

According to the former European Tour winner, one of the biggest differences between generations is the way players approach the sport. While younger players seemingly cannot get enough time at the dartboard, White admits he increasingly appreciates the opportunity to switch off. "Yeah, they're enjoying it like we did years ago. As soon as they come home, they want to go and play darts, whereas I want to come home and sit around for three days and do nothing!"

White in action on the Euro Tour

White seeing improvements after intensive practice

Although White has lost ground in recent years, he has not lost confidence in his own ability. The Englishman has been practising more frequently in recent weeks and believes his game is gradually heading in the right direction.

"It's got to improve more than anything. But I've been practising a lot over the last month or so, and the game's coming on. We just haven't had a lot of tournaments. Well, I haven't, because I haven't qualified for a lot of them. But the game's getting better, and I think in the next month or two, we'll see something different."

Missing out on major tournaments has naturally been frustrating, although White is now trying to strike a better balance between his sporting ambitions and his personal life. This year, for example, he deliberately missed several events to enjoy a holiday.

"It's frustrating more than anything. But like I say, I went on holiday this year and missed two tournaments and two qualifiers. Usually I'd have flown back for that, but you've got to enjoy life as well, I think. If I'm away on holiday, I want to sit by that swimming pool, not worry about the darts and get away from it."

That does not mean White has abandoned his ambitions. On the contrary, he remains convinced that he can still produce performances at a high level. The challenge is finding the consistency to put together a sustained run of results.

"Listen, the game's there. I know it's there. The other week, I played Cristo Reyes, and he had an average of 100. He hit a nine-darter and everything. Sometimes you can't keep up with it, and that day I couldn't. The next day, I was on around a 98 average, so I'd stepped up a lot. I know I can do it. It's just about making it into a run and having a good day."

White also points to the resurgence of several other experienced players, believing the likes of Kim Huybrechts and Mervyn King have demonstrated that there is still an opportunity to fight back after a difficult period.

"Kim [Huybrechts] has actually stepped up again now, hasn't he? And you've got Mervyn King and all of them. They're all starting to play well again. Maybe it's because it's coming to the end of the season, and we've got the World Championship and stuff coming up. Everyone wants to start playing well and getting into that major tournament."

"I think the problem is they're playing too much"

White has witnessed enormous changes in professional darts over more than a decade. During his most successful years, he competed against the likes of Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Adrian Lewis, who regularly produced extraordinary averages.

The depth of competition has since increased considerably, but White believes there is also an explanation for why the leading players do not always reproduce the standards seen during that earlier era.

"I think the problem is they're playing too much. I think it's massive that they're playing a lot, but then they've got weekends off and they go and do exhibitions and put other stuff in. I think the calendar and the exhibitions they're trying to get in, because these exhibitions now aren't normal exhibitions, are they? They're like big events now."

White believes the combination of official tournaments, exhibitions and other commitments leaves players with little opportunity to recover between events.

He also feels the way performances are judged has changed. While supporters and pundits regularly debate averages, White insists that ultimately only one thing matters: winning.

"I hate talking about averages, and I did before. It's getting that win. You get that win, it doesn't matter what your average is. I think you can see it. You win with an 86 average, an 82 average, an 87 average. Getting that win is more important, I think."

Retaining his Tour Card takes absolute priority

During the interview, White was also asked about the changes announced by the PDC for 2027. The European Championship will expand to 48 players, the Players Championship Finals will feature 128 competitors, and a new European Open tournament will be held in Salzburg.

Remarkably, White appeared largely unaware of the announcements. "Is it? I've got no clue!" he replied with a laugh.

For the Englishman, next season's plans currently hold little significance. His attention is firmly on the remaining tournaments of 2026 and, above all, retaining his PDC Tour Card. "Listen, I take it day by day. I've got to get to the World Championship. I've got to get to the Players Championship Finals. I've got to concentrate on that. Then we can look at next year's calendar."

White knows his future on the PDC circuit is uncertain. Losing his Tour Card would be a significant setback, although he is not ruling out returning through Q School. "At the end of the day, I'm not looking at next year. I've got to get through this year, concentrate on keeping my Tour Card, and then we go from there. Because I just don't know what I'd do if I didn't have it."

Should that scenario materialise, White is determined to give himself another opportunity. "No, I'd definitely go to Q School. Because if you win it, you get your card back for another two years. Would I do the Challenge Tour? I don't know. I'd probably pick and choose, and then try to do exhibitions or something like that. I don't know. We've got that hurdle still to come."

White sympathises with struggling Michael Smith

Michael Smith's difficult period was another subject raised during the interview. The former world champion has been dealing with persistent physical problems and has undergone various treatments in an effort to return to full fitness.

White knows his fellow Englishman well and remains sympathetic to the difficulties he is experiencing.

"Yeah, he's all right in himself. It's just frustrating with the injuries and bits and pieces, trying to get around it. I think when you haven't been playing for a long time, you're going to get these injuries, repetitive strains and stuff. It is what it is. It's part and parcel of the game now."

White hopes Smith can put those problems behind him and climb back towards the top of the world rankings. "He's just got to put his mindset to it, and I think he's in the next couple of Europeans. Fingers crossed he can do well and push back up there, because he's a lovely guy. He might do stupid things sometimes on social media, but that's Michael Smith! When you know the guy, you love him to bits."

"These youngsters haven't got a clue who you are"

Despite his own struggles on the circuit, White remains enthusiastic about the sport's development. In particular, the influence of Luke Littler and the opportunities now available to young players demonstrate just how far darts has come.

"Yeah, definitely. You come here now, look at this place. It's massive. They've got academies on, they've got competitions on. When we started off, we had Super League and then the odd competition a month with the BDO. That's all we had."

Young players now have a far clearer pathway towards the professional game. White still remembers how intimidating it was to arrive on the PDC circuit surrounded by some of the sport's biggest names.

"When I first came over, playing in the events, you've got Barney on one side, Phil Taylor on the other. It was nerve-racking. These kids aren't nervous now. They've got a structure where they can come through. It's good for the sport. It's not good for me, but it's good for the sport!" White laughed.

Yet the rapid growth of darts has also created an unusual situation, with a new generation of supporters unfamiliar with some of the established names from previous eras. "It's great, and it's nice when people recognise you. But now it's the older generation that recognises you, because the youngsters haven't got a clue who you are!"

Interviewer Phil Barrs recalled an extraordinary incident at an exhibition the previous year, when a table of young fans reportedly failed to recognise Phil Taylor while the 16-time world champion was answering questions on stage. According to Barrs, the youngsters asked: "Who's he?" White immediately agreed with the example, responding: "Exactly!"

White has experienced similar situations himself, with younger supporters increasingly unfamiliar with his achievements. "I've been to a few events, and these youngsters are like, 'Ian White? Who are you?' If you don't watch the first round and you only watch the second round onwards, you probably wouldn't have seen me for the last ten years or whatever!"

Nevertheless, White looks back on his career with considerable pride. His achievements will remain part of the PDC's history, regardless of when he eventually decides to retire.

"I know if I went tomorrow and didn't come back, I'd be in some of the record books, or the PDC books. They'd say, 'Ian White's won so many events,' and I'll always be there. It's great, and it's nice when people recognise you. But now it's the older generation that recognises you."

For now, though, White has no intention of putting away his darts. His immediate objective remains securing his Tour Card and proving he can still compete against the new generation.