I am one of the biggest stars in darts but the MUMPS ‘changed me forever’ and ended my career at the top

DARTS commentator and coach Wayne Mardle revealed how MUMPS changed his life and forced him to retire from the oche.

Mardle’s darts playing career came to a standstill because of his health in the 2009 Premier League.

Sky Sports darts pundit Wayne Mardle says mumps changed him foreverGETTY

Mardle’s darts-playing career came to a standstill in 2009News Group Newspapers Ltd

Hawaii 501 was lined up as one of the best players in the world in the 2009 tournament.

But he had to pull out due to health reasons and was barely able to walk.

Mardle, now a pundit on Sky Sports has excelled in the commentating and coaching side of the game.

And his wife has said he has not been the same since he contracted a severe bout of mumps 15 years ago – which is an infection that causes severe swelling in the side of your face.

Mardle told Daily Star Sport: “It was about 18 months. I contracted mumps when I was world number five or six. From there, I went on a slide.

“I was quite an aggressive player, I had energy. My wife is still of the opinion that that changed me forever.

“I became quite timid after that, I didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t have the fight or will to win and that’s what my game was based on.”

And it was his rival darts legend Phil Taylor who spotted that something was not right with the star.

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The 50-year-old continued: “I couldn’t compete, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t stand, I couldn’t play.

“It was actually Phil who alerted me to the fact I wasn’t well while we were in Glasgow for a Premier League night.

“I’m one of those people who’s got a bit of energy, nervous energy, a little bit of anxiety.

“When I was playing, I’d jump up and down like a lunatic, I was even like that in the practice room.

“We were in the practice room in Glasgow and Phil said ‘are you OK? It’s not like you, you’ve gone really quiet’. I said ‘yeah, I don’t feel great’.

“That was on a Thursday and I didn’t play for the following few weeks.

“It was a virus that just wouldn’t go. For months, I didn’t pick up a dart. That was an awful time.

“I eventually got pulled out of the Premier League and they had people come in as guests, the likes of Mark Webster, Robert Thornton and Dennis Priestley, so I gave them a chance!”

Mardle did return to the oche a few years later but not for very long as he retired from playing in his late 30s.

During his playing career, he was runner-up in three PDC majors, losing to Taylor on each occasion.

And Mardle was also a five-time world semi-finalist.