'It felt like I needed to win another one - I was expected to' - Three years on from first major title Ross Smith re-evaluates goals

Ross Smith’s breakthrough moment came in 2022 when he shocked the field to lift the European Championship title — defeating namesake Michael Smith 11–8 in a memorable final. It was the win that catapulted him out of the PDC’s crowded middle tier and into the spotlight.

Now 36 and sitting in 14th spot in the PDC Order of Merit, ‘Smudger’ still has his sights set on more major glory. But if there's one thing he's learned since that breakout triumph, it's the importance of doing things at his own pace — without the weight of expectation.

“People kept saying to me: 'The next one will be just around the corner. You've won one now, you'll win loads,' and I think for the first six months after that, I put a bit of pressure on myself,” Smith reflects honestly in conversation with Sky Sports. “It felt like I needed to actually win another one, or I was expected to. Which isn't real."

"Everyone knows how hard they are to win. You've got some of the greatest players to play the game that have never won one," Smith continues. "But now, I'm realistic. Yeah, everyone wants to dominate the game like Luke Humphries has over recent years, and Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen. But that standard is so high now, so if I win another major, and it comes in the next couple of months, the next year or the year after, then that's fantastic."