Rod Studd on returning to the commentary box at the Winter Gardens

This summer not only did darts and fans return to the Winter Gardens for the World Matchplay last month, but Sky Sports Rod Studd made a triumphant return to the commentary box after a stroke last year.

Studd discussed his return and how important it was for him to gain some practice time at ProTours before making his full comeback.

“I was a bit nervous. I wasn’t entirely sure what would happen but I’d had a bit of a run out at the Super Series in Coventry which I’ve got to thank Matt Porter for that because he suggested that maybe it would be a good idea to get a bit of practice in,” 

“I didn’t know whether I’d be able to get it back and whether I’d still be able to do the same stuff. Whether I’d be able to speak in the same way, I wasn’t 100% sure, I was pretty confident but having done the ProTour I was more confident.”

Studd confessed that he had to remain determined throughout his battle and that he would never give up.

“We all know social media can be a brutal place at times but there wasn’t a bit of that. It was a wash with good messages. It was very heartwarming and I appreciate all of them.”

“There’s plenty of people who have had it much worse than me but it’s a lot of rehab. It’s been hard work but I’ve thrown myself into it and I’ve enjoyed it to be honest.”

“To be honest, if you’d have asked me a couple of years ago what I thought would happen if I got ill like that, I would have had me down as someone that would fold at the first sign of trouble like a cheap suit. But I haven’t, I’ve managed to find something from somewhere.”

“I’ve managed to keep going and I’ve been quite determined that I wasn’t going to give up and settle for where I was at any given point of the journey.”