Michael Smith is working his way back from injury (Image: Getty)
Darts star is working with physio he has at Manchester City in order to get his career back on track. The pivot to City man Ben Thompson comes after an alarming 22mph e-scooter crash. Just two years on from wowing the crowd at with a stunning nine-dart leg on route to becoming darts’ world champion, Smith has seen a shocking dip in form that has pushed him out of the top 16.
Having been cut from this year’s BetMGM Premier League roster, ‘Bully Boy’ disclosed his battle with arthritis and how the recent scooter accident worsened his acromioclavicular joint injury in his throwing shoulder. He has since spurned most exhibition event invites, focusing instead on regaining form.
Opening up on recruiting the City physio, the 34-year-old darts ace said: “I’ve had cortisone injections in my wrist three weeks ago and my throwing hand is fine at the minute. It was a bit sore on the joint. First of all I threw a dart and it completely missed the board at home and hit the mural which I’ve just painted in my games room, so that was fun.
“But for the last week and a half I’ve been able to practise for four hours a day, which I’ve not been able to do for the last 12 weeks. I’ve had the arthritis for years. The worst thing about going to Minehead [this weekend] is because it’s so cold there and the cold gets to my wrist.
“I’ve also got an issue with the AC joint my right shoulder, but that was my own fault. I did that on Christmas Day – I bought the kids two scooters, I thought I’d race one of them, I went over what I thought was a puddle but it was actually a pothole.
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“I’ve hit that at 22mph, straight over the handlebars and hit my shoulder into the floor. I couldn’t pick my arm up for seven weeks. I also had a big cut. Even now I’ve still got a bit of bone sticking out in my shoulder.
“I’ve got physio Ben Thompson working with me. My wife Dagmara met Ben at the Manchester Premier League meeting a while back. It’s mad that he’ll come to work on me after doing or Phil Foden’s legs and then be working on my back and shoulders.
“Ben says AC joint injuries are more common in rugby, and I’ve got a bit of bone that sticks out now, but I’m told that will never go away.”
Man City’s Ben Thompson will work with Michael Smith while retaining his role at the Premier League club (Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Asked if he feared his career was over after the scooter crash and being left out of the Premier League line-up, he said (as per ): “I’ve never feared anything. The pain isn’t great but there’s nothing that strong painkillers can’t help me to get through it.
“Obviously I was always going to get arthritis after breaking my wrists as a kid. I got left out of the Premier League in 2021. I made the World Championship final that year, so maybe it’s just the kick up the a*** I needed. I didn’t get picked. The plan is to work harder this year. I’ve turned down almost every exhibition to work hard on my game.”
Smith will head to Minehead’s UK Open – dubbed the FA Cup of darts – this weekend.