Phil Taylor earns surprise new nickname after retirement construction role
Darts legend Phil Taylor has taken on an unexpected new identity after stepping away from professional competition, with the 16-time world champion now embracing a completely different lifestyle on a construction project that has quickly given him a fresh nickname among fans and locals.
Taylor, who is widely regarded as the greatest darts player of all time, has swapped the bright lights of packed arenas and the pressure of televised finals for hard hats, heavy machinery, and hands-on building work. Instead of chasing titles and trophies, he is now helping bring a long-term development project to life in Stoke-on-Trent, the city closely tied to his career and legacy.
The project at the centre of his new chapter is Taylor’s Bar, a planned venue designed as both a tribute to his sporting achievements and a community-focused leisure destination. It is more than just a pub. The wider development includes plans for a campsite, outdoor entertainment space, and family attractions such as a petting zoo and children’s play areas, aiming to create a relaxed environment where visitors can spend an entire day rather than just a few hours.
While the project itself carries his name, it is Taylor’s involvement on the ground that has caught the most attention. Rather than acting only as an investor or figurehead, he has been regularly present on-site, getting involved in the physical side of the build. That hands-on approach has led workers and fans to give him a playful new nickname that blends his darts legacy with his current role in construction.
Known for decades as “The Power,” Taylor has now jokingly been referred to as “The Power Drill,” a light-hearted twist that reflects both his famous sporting identity and his surprising enthusiasm for tools, machinery, and manual labour.
The nickname has spread quickly among darts fans and onlookers following updates about his post-retirement life, with many amused by the contrast between one of sport’s most dominant and precise competitors and his new role operating diggers and helping with groundwork.
Taylor’s transition into this new environment has not been as abrupt as it may seem. Since retiring from professional darts, he has spoken about wanting to stay active and avoid a completely quiet retirement. After decades of intense competition, constant travel, media obligations, and high-pressure matches, he has embraced a slower but still physically engaging lifestyle.
On the construction site, he has been involved in a variety of tasks, from basic labouring duties to assisting with fencing and moving materials. He has also spent time operating machinery, including diggers, which he has described as surprisingly straightforward once you get used to the controls. Rather than stepping back from physical effort, Taylor appears to have leaned into it, treating the work as a new kind of challenge.
Those around him have noted that he has adapted quickly to the demands of site work. While he initially felt the strain of using different muscle groups compared to his playing days, he has reportedly adjusted well, much like an athlete adapting to a new form of training. The early aches and fatigue that come with physical labour have become part of a routine he seems to enjoy.
For Taylor, one of the biggest changes has been the environment itself. Instead of stadiums filled with noise, cameras, and intense focus, he now spends his days outdoors, surrounded by open space and the steady progress of a building project taking shape. He has expressed appreciation for the calmer atmosphere and the sense of achievement that comes from seeing visible results at the end of each day’s work.
The development of Taylor’s Bar is intended to be a long-term legacy project rather than a short-term business venture. Positioned in Stoke-on-Trent, it carries a personal connection to Taylor’s roots and career, allowing him to remain linked to the community that supported him throughout his rise in darts. The inclusion of leisure facilities such as camping areas and family attractions suggests a broader vision beyond traditional hospitality, aiming to create a destination venue with multiple uses.
Even though Taylor has stepped away from competitive darts entirely, his influence on the sport remains unmatched. With 16 world championship titles and a record number of major victories, his dominance across multiple decades set a standard that few have come close to matching. His career defined an era of darts and helped elevate the sport’s global popularity.
Now, however, his story has entered a very different phase. Instead of focusing on averages, finishes, and tournament wins, he is focused on foundations, structures, and building progress. The contrast between his former life and his current role is part of what makes his new nickname so fitting in the eyes of fans.
“The Power Drill” captures both sides of his identity: the precision and reputation of his darts career, combined with his unexpected enthusiasm for construction work. It is a symbol of how dramatically life can change after retirement, even for someone who once dominated a sport at the highest level for decades.
Despite the shift, Taylor does not appear to be distancing himself from his past. Instead, he is blending it with his present, turning his name into a central part of a physical project that will stand as a lasting landmark. While he may no longer be throwing darts on the biggest stages, he remains active, visible, and involved in a very different kind of building process.
For fans, it is a reminder that even sporting legends eventually move into new chapters of life. For Taylor himself, it seems to be a chapter defined not by slowing down, but by finding a different way to stay busy, useful, and connected to a community he has long been part of.
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