I think it was one of the Kardashians who once said, “life is what happens when you’re making other plans.”
Willie O’Connor isn’t making any other plans.
The Limerick man has nowhere else to be and nothing else to do but continue his rise through the swings and arrows of the sport he was destined to play.
On Wednesday night, he took another thrilling step on the road that everyone in Ireland has a front seat on. A fantastic five sets of darts saw him upset James Wilson and storm into the last 32 of this his second World Darts Championship.
And, afterwards, he was feeling confident at the prospect of going even further and making waves in the business end of the most prestigious tournament in darts.
“I know I have the game,” he told Sky Sports straight after the victory at Ally Pally.
“Everyone knows I have the game but I’ve got to go up and do it.
“Look, when the time comes, the time comes.
“Everyone knows the time will come and hopefully the time is now.”
O’Connor is now in line to meet the highly-fancied Mensur Suljovic in the round of 32 but the Austrian won’t take anything for granted against Ryan Searle having watched Peter Wright crash out, van Barneveld join him and Simon Whitlock exit on Wednesday as well.
He also would’ve watched O’Connor’s performance against an in-form James Wilson and watched it with nothing else but respect.
So, it could be the seventh seed up next but the Munster native doesn’t seem to care, as long as he can play the darts he knows he can play.
