Phil Taylor’s answers are just as methodical as his darts: thoughtful, measured, precise. When he says something you can be very sure he means it and has chosen his words with intent.

The 15-time champion of the world has just wrapped up his 11^th World Matchplay title. When his form dipped four years ago, he was revitalised by the BDO-to-PDC transfer of Raymond van Barneveld; when winning came just a tad too easily, Simon Whitlock emerged on to the scene to provide another challenge. So does he think any of the younger generation of darts players are going to threaten his dominance any time soon? He considers the question carefully. James Wade is inconsistent,” he eventually replies. “He can play really well, but it depends which James turns up.”

What about Wade’s contemporary and Taylor’s former protégé, Adrian Lewis? Since an apparently amicable parting of the ways in 2007, Taylor has seen Lewis sink down the PDC world rankings and out of the Premier League, and the younger man still has not won a major tournament. For a man as dedicated to excellence as Taylor, it seems that this is a minor frustration for him; it is apparent that he feels he’s done all he can and now it’s up to Lewis.

“I’ve given Adrian more advice than anyone, but it goes in one ear and out the other,” he sighs. “If he had a brain he’d be dangerous.” It’s evident that particular subject is closed.

If Lewis has failed to fulfil his potential and his mentor’s belief in him, who would Taylor like to see on the big stage? This is a much more cheering topic, which Taylor takes to with enthusiasm. “There are a couple I’d love to see do well – Adrian Gray, and Jelle Klaasen.” Klaasen is an interesting case; though he beat the great van Barneveld before their respective moves over to the PDC, again he’s not quite made the big breakthrough. Taylor explains: “He gets frustrated because he doesn’t get the rewards, but they’ll come. He doesn’t go out or drink or stay up late – he lives the right lifestyle.”

Ah, living the right lifestyle. That’s a bugbear of Taylor’s, who’s always stressed the importance of taking the sport seriously, training hard and not indulging in too much food or drink. Those players less dedicated than him earn his scorn, but perhaps more importantly eliminate themselves from his list of rivals. Yet the list of players who can prove themselves a real contender to the greatest darts player who has ever lived is by necessity short – a resurgent van Barneveld, Whitlock, an on-form Wade…

“There’s always a rivalry with Mervyn King, but we’re still friends underneath it all,” he assures me, though I am obviously unconvinced bearing in mind the multiple episodes of needle between the pair. Taylor tries to persuade me that this is the absolute truth: “There’ll always be rivalries because you’re trying to stop other people from earning a living. It’s a competitive world, and you don’t like it when anyone beats you, but there’s no nastiness.”

Treating darts as a job is one of Taylor’s other hobby horses. He’s earned a fine sum of money from the sport and sees no reason to feel guilty about it. “I get a footballer’s wages!” he declares with glee. What about his colleagues, who have earned significantly less in prize money and endorsements? “The rest of them? Couldn’t care less.”

In football, significantly less gifted players have earned tens of millions of pounds, and the quality of the sport is not obviously better than before the injection of cash. “I think that yes, too much money can ruin the game,” admits Taylor. “But money isn’t a motivation. You have to do that yourself.”

Taylor is one of the most self-motivated sportsmen around. When it’s just you at a darts board practising for hours every day, you have to be. Yet he remains inspired by the achievements of others. “Daley Thompson, Pete Sampras, Nigel Benn, Stuart Pearce – these are the sportsmen who inspire me.”

No mention of any women there, so I ask him what he thinks about players like Anastasia Dobromyslova competing alongside him in PDC events – Wayne Mardle, in a fit of macho panic, has been very vocal about his opposition to mixed events, whereas John Part, as calm as ever, has been supportive of it. Taylor, on the other hand, seems vaguely surprised to be asked. “I’m fine with her. I think she’s found her first year very difficult. If she does well, she deserves it.”

Time for some predictions, then. What should we expect from the European Championships this weekend? “You mean am I going to win it?” asks Taylor, mind on only one thing as ever. “Yes.”

Phil Taylor won his 11th World Matchplay title at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens tonight, beating Raymond van Barneveld by 18 legs to 12.

Though van Barneveld led 3-2 at the first interval, with all the legs going with throw, Taylor broke shortly afterwards and began to extend his lead. Despite falling four legs behind, van Barneveld refused to give in, pushing Taylor and retaining his throw to close the deficit back to three with the scores at 15-12 with an incisive double 20. Taylor reclaimed the advantage immediately, though, and cruised his way to the title as the Dutchman lost his nerve, missing the 25 he needed to leave him with a double-top to take the 28th leg.

Both players finished with a doubles-conversion rate of just about 50 per cent, but It was the treble 20s that made the difference – Taylor ended the match with nine to his credit, with van Barneveld lagging behind with just two. As Taylor hit his last 180 of the evening, van Barneveld responded with three single 20s followed by a bounce-out, which summed up his evening.

The two players embraced at the end, and despite the crowd chanting, “Easy! Easy!”, this evening’s match was in fact the toughest either of them had played throughout the week. Van Barneveld had been tested by his compatriot  Co Stompe in the quarter-finals but still won 16-12, and Taylor’s hardest opponent had been the effervescent Barrie Bates in the first round, who he beat 10-6.

“It’s good to have Barney back,” said Taylor afterwards. “I’m over the moon that Barney is playing like Barney can, and is putting me under pressure.” Having emerged from a two-month hiatus in a season where he has suffered from off-the-oche distractions and health problems, Van Barneveld accepted his number two status behind the greatest player the sport has ever seen. “There’s nothing wrong with that,” he said ironically, and added ominously, “He’s too good for me at the moment…but I still had the nine-darter!” referring to his spectacular performance against Denis Ovens in the first round.

The PDC tour now moves to Dinslaken, Germany, for the European Championships next weekend.