Danny Noppert says his ADHD medical condition means he’s not as boring as his on-stage persona.
The Dutch star is happy to go under the radar and admits that he is a Steady Eddie on the stage. Noppert calmly dispatched William O’Connor to move into the last-eight of the Winmau World Masters in typically-sedate style.
The 34-year-old said: “This is the way I play now at the moment, under the radar, but I want to go above the radar. I’m just a Steady Eddie Noppert.”
But, when asked if he was a different person off the stage, Noppert revealed: “I’m a different person when I am at home. I have ADHD, so when I’m at home I’m more hyper than when I’m at the darts. I want to go hard. I’m not as boring like everyone thinks.
“I have a busy life at home with the children and everything. But when I play darts, I’m a different person. I always manage focused on what I want to do. I think the ADHD makes me stronger to get to the point where I want to be.”
Noppert believes he can get back into the rankings top eight doing it his way as he said: “Sometimes I feel like that [underestimated], but for me it’s okay. It’s the way how the media or the people want to see me. It’s not about me.
“I like to play on the stage and I like to win, of course. Sometimes you lose. I always keep fighting. Maybe I’m not the fastest player in the world or the biggest high scorer, but I do my checkouts and I do everything steady. So yeah, what you say, maybe under the radar, but in the future, not.
“I always hope to get back to the level I did two years ago, of course. I won the UK Open. I’m really looking forward to two wins this year and a major this year and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year. I’m always like the steady Danny Noppert that he is.”