Who is Welsh darts star Jonny Clayton?
JONNY CLAYTON is a Welsh darts pro and former plasterer who won four televised titles in 2021 alone.
Within two years he almost packed the game in altogether, but will be glad he persevered as he’s competing on the biggest stage of them all at the PDC World Darts Championship.
Who is Jonny Clayton?
Jonny Clayton was born on October 4, 1974, in Pontyberem, Wales.
He’s ranked No 7 on the PDC Order of Merit as of December 19, 2024.
Before his professional darts career took off, he worked as a plasterer, a job he continued to hold even after becoming a successful thrower.
In 2022, he told the Daily Star he was “too scared” to quit, explaining: “I would be a liar to say I have not considered it.
“But in a way, I am scared to give up my job, because things are working for me at the moment.
“I have not changed anything and I am doing well.
“I do not know what would happen if I finished my work and concentrated on my darts.
“If things went wrong, I don’t know how I’d take that.
“At the moment, I would be a liar to say I haven’t thought about quitting my job, but I am not going to at the moment because I just feel that things are working for me.
“I have always played the game darts while working so I am not changing that at the minute and I don’t plan to anytime soon.”
Hanging up his plastering trowel
Jonny finally hung up his plastering trowel in 2022 after speaking to his employers — Carmarthenshire County Council.
At the time, he said: “I’ve basically taken five months off work already this year, and as the Premier League season comes to an end, my time as a plasterer is probably coming to an end, too.
“My bosses at Carmarthenshire county council have been incredibly fair to me, allowing me to fit the day job around playing darts. But now it’s time for me to return to their kindness.
“I can’t keep going to them to ask for time off, and they can’t keep bending over backwards to accommodate one employee.
“The plan is for me to carry on until December, but from the end of the year I’m going to try and be a professional darts player full-time.
“After that, the tools will be staying in the van. It will be hard to say goodbye to a trade that has sustained me all my working life.
“But I’ve reached the stage now where it’s become too hard to maintain a balance between darts and a nine-to-five job.”
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Darts career
Jonny’s journey in professional darts began relatively late compared to some of his peers.
He played in the BDO from 2008 — meaning he was around 33 when he turned pro.
Jonny joined the PDC Pro Tour in 2015 at the age of 40 after winning a Tour Card on the final day of Qualifying School.
His first significant breakthrough came in 2017 when he won his first PDC ranking title at Players Championship 22.
In 2020, the Welshman’s career took a dramatic upswing when he won the PDC World Cup of Darts partnered with Gerwyn Price — a feat the pair later repeated in 2023.
In 2021, he had a phenomenal year, winning four televised titles — The Masters, Premier League, World Grand Prix and World Series of Darts Finals.
As of 2024, Jonny has accumulated an impressive 15 career titles, including seven which were televised.
He has also achieved two televised nine-dart finishes, showcasing his exceptional skill and precision.
Almost quitting darts
Jonny opened up on what was a difficult 12 months after he lost his father in 2023.
It was such a trying year that he almost walked away from darts altogether.
Speaking in October 2024, he said: “For the last year I’ve not been bothered at all, but there’s a bit of fire in the belly again, I’m hungry.
“I’m a dart player, so I want to be the best in my sport.
“But you know, I have to be honest, in the last year it could have been packing up time.
“But listen, I’m back enjoying it, I got a smile on my face and I don’t like losing. So that’s a good thing for ‘The Ferret’.”
The Ferret
Although a lot of darts players get given animal-related nicknames, Jonny chose his own.
He wanted a name reflecting his character, so instead of choosing something more fierce like “The Tiger”, he went for “The Ferret”.
This reportedly highlights his agility, determination and unassuming approach to the game.