But egged on by a supportive family, shedding nearly four stone and finding a new mental fortitude, he stuck with it - a decision which ultimately paid off on the biggest stage last night.
Already a three-time major winner this season and world No1, he is now world champion, adding the Sid Waddell Trophy to his cabinet, as well as £500,000 to an already impressive bank balance.
The 28-year-old from Newbury was all too aware he was not the crowd favourite at Ally Pally last night. That role was unsurprisingly reserved for his 16-year-old opponent, Luke Littler, who has brought a new audience to the sport and record viewing figures in the past few days.
And Littler came mightily close to winning what prior to Christmas had seemed the unlikeliest of world titles.
He was, at one point, a dart away from going 5-2 clear of Humphries.
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