Darts star had brutal football rejection before stunning career change

In another life, Tom Sykes is running around Elland Road representing Leeds United.

Or perhaps he’s donning the iconic blue and white stripes of Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsbrough.

Instead, the 33-year-old was told he was ‘too small’ to play football, a brutal truth bomb that eventually led him to a career in darts.

Sykes explains why his football journey ended

“I was a left winger, so I was pretty quick when I was younger, and I can’t say that now, but I’m not very quick at the minute,” Sykes told the Weekly Dartscast.

“I played for a year at Leeds United academy, played at Sheffield Wednesday academy for a year. I played to a decent level to be fair, but yeah, obviously I didn’t make it.

“I got told I was too small, but that’s like the standard excuse nowadays, isn’t it? For footballers and stuff.”

With the door slammed shut on his football career, Sykes then devoted himself to darts.

However, it took some time before the man dubbed the ‘Castleford Tiger’ went all in on life at the oche.

Sykes revealed his dad used to ask him weekly whether he was playing darts, only to reply by telling him he was playing football instead.

Eventually the penny dropped for the 33-year-old, as he finally gave in to those who told him to give a career at the oche a proper chance.

Sykes: I eventually ‘knuckled down’ on darts

He continued: “I sort of fell out of love with football a little bit as well.

“It sort of switched, so I sort of started playing more darts than football and then playing football in the winter.

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“Being a 26-year-old knowing that I’m not going to do anything with it, it was just like, yeah, I suppose they’re probably right.

“So, I suppose I needed to start knuckling down and start playing darts properly.

“Plus, nowadays I couldn’t think of anything worse than putting a pair of football boots on and walking out onto a football field.

“Whereas before I was absolutely obsessed with it, you’d never seen me without a football at my feet.

“So yeah, it sort of switched on its head just like randomly, but yeah, it’s all worked out. So I’m happy.”

Sykes, who holds a PDC Tour Card, is ranked 82nd in the world.

But a stunning run to the semi-finals of this year’s Slovak Open shows Sykes will be eyeing up a rise in the rankings.

In his European Tour debut, the 33-year-old beat Niko Springer, Martin Schindler, Cameron Menzies and Jermaine Wattimena en route to the final four.

His run came to an end at the hands of former world champion Rob Cross, who prevailed 7-2.