Darts legend Richie Burnett admits he has "earned two fortunes and spent three" during a turbulent career on the oche.
Resurgent Burnett rolled back the years to stun Peter Wright at the UK Open as his fairy-tale story continued in Minehead on Saturday.
'The Prince of Wales' dumped out the two-time world champion 10-8 in a thrilling last 16 clash to set up a Sunday quarter-final against Dimitri Van den Bergh.
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Burnett looked to have blown a golden chance to cause a huge shock when Wright staged a stirring comeback from 7-2 down to level at 8-8.
But the eccentric 56-year-old held his nerve with a fine 88 checkout to reach his first TV ranking quarter-final in nine years.
And his box-office performance on the main stage was matched by his post-match interview as he reflected on a tumultuous time in darts.
“I’m a tough old cookie. I love this game – I really do,” an emotional Burnett said. "I was 7-3 up and I started thinking about it, but that’s natural. Peter’s at the top of the game, he’s a Premier League player, so it’s a big win for me.
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“I haven’t been in that situation for a while, but experience got me through in the end. I’ve been an idiot over the years, I’ve really underachieved. I’m just making up for lost time. I’ve earned two fortunes and spent three.”
Former world number one Burnett – the 1995 BDO world champion – revealed in 2009 that he was living off benefit payments after temporarily giving up pro darts following a crisis of confidence.
And his world came crashing down again when he was slapped with an 18-month ban for testing positive for cocaine in 2015, subsequently battling depression.
But Burnett, who has worked as a roofer away from the oche, is now making waves in his most recent comeback after recently qualifying for his first PDC World Championship in eight years.
The passionate Welshman has guaranteed a £15,000 cheque for his last eight spot at the UK Open and still has a chance of going all the way and claiming the £110,000 top prize on Sunday.
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