Darts veteran Matt Clark has shared a harrowing experience of being advised to ‘rest or die’ after being hospitalized with a dangerous blood clot. The 57-year-old player from Dartford was forced to step away from the World Seniors Tour when doctors cautioned that his life was at risk unless he made significant lifestyle changes.
Clark, who held a PDC Tour Card from 2003 to 2017 and again from 2019 to 2022, achieved his best World Championships performance by reaching the last 32 in 2006 before being stopped by Phil Taylor. Following the loss of his Tour Card, he transitioned to the WDF.
Opening up about his health scare, Clark disclosed, “During the seniors tour, I developed a life-threatening blood clot in a sensitive area. When a doctor tells you that any movement could be fatal, it truly alters your perspective on life.”
“They informed me that I couldn’t work. If the situation wasn’t controlled, the consequences could be a brain hemorrhage or a heart attack,” Clark added during an appearance on the Tungsten Tales podcast.
Despite facing health challenges, Clark made a comeback to the WDF World Championship as the No. 7 seed and is set to compete against Belgium’s Francois Schweyen in the last 16. He previously won the 1999 Canadian Open and reached the quarter-finals of the 2008 World Matchplay, marking his strongest performance at a PDC major event.
Clark, nicknamed ‘Superman,’ suffered a 16-12 defeat to James Wade, who went on to the final before being defeated by ‘The Power’ in the Blackpool event. The PDC World Darts Championship kicks off on December 11, with fans being able to watch every match live exclusively on Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.