World Darts Champion Rob Cross has admitted things could have been very different for him in his career were it not for a rather sensitive injury that he suffered during his teenage years.

Cross beat Phil 'The Power' Taylor at Alexandra Palace in the World Championship final on New Year's Day and ended the veteran's hopes of a fairytale end to his career.

Cross has been tipped to dominate darts and has been ever since his first victory, but it may not have panned out the way it has if it wasn't thanks to a very unfortunate testicle injury 10 years ago.

“I was okay at it, I enjoyed it, I was No 8, back of the scrum, but I took an unfortunate injury,” Cross told The Sun, per the Evening Standard.

“It was enough to put me off. Use your imagination. I walked like John Wayne for a month!”

With plenty of years and life still ahead of him, it isn't impossible that Cross can go on to dominate darts, and he himself believes that he can having now vanquished Taylor who heads into a well earned retirement.

Cross had done exactly what Taylor himself did to Eric Bristow when he beat the then darts icon 6-1 in the final.

The match on New Year's day bagged Cross £400,000 in prize money. During the match, he averaged a remarkable 107.67, hit 11 maximums, and had a checkout percentage of 60, emphatically ending his first professional year on the professional darts corporation circuit.

“I believe I can dominate going forward,” he said.

“I still have loads to learn, but winning this will help me greatly as I now know I can win and play well.”

Taylor had been on the lookout for his 17th title before Cross ended his dreams of such a feat.

The darts world, though, very clearly has its newest star, and all eyes will be on him for the next few years to see if he can achieve anywhere near the legendary status that Taylor has done so.

Beating the outgoing master of darts is already one big thing to tick off Cross's checklist, but there are plenty more challenges in store for the impressive 27-year-old.