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"I'm suffering every single week, I don't like these tournaments, I don't want the pain anymore." He said in an interview with Sky Sports.
"For me, I've made a decision, I'm done now, I don't want the pain anymore."
"It's good to see that everyone loves you but they don't have one single clue what I'm going through.
"It's pain every single week for for the last three or four years."
Having dropped out of the world's top 32, he would have needed to qualify from the Pro Tour, meaning playing every weekend in gruelling tournaments every weekend.
One of his management team then said on Twitter "Raymond has had a very tough two nights and in all his emotions he said he was going to retire right away.
I just spoke with him and we agreed it is better to take a couple of days to clear the mind and think about the future.
I hope everyone understands."
WEDNESDAY
Raymond van Barneveld suffered a 7-1 defeat to Daryl Gurney in front of his home crowd, after a spine-tinglingly emotional walk-on at the Ahoy Arena.
Earlier results had meant the 2014 champion knew he needed a win or a draw against the Northern Irishman.
The vociferous crowd soon flattened when Barney produced one of his worst ever TV performances, averaging just under 82.
Gurney was not at his best either, but easily outclassed the Dutchman, averaging 89 and missing nine of 16 darts at double.
Michael van Gerwen returned to the top of the Premier League standings as he thrashed Peter Wright 7-1.
After two defeats and a draw, the Dutchman was fourth in the league, but produced a ruthless display against Snakebite.
Romping to a 6-0 lead, it looked as though we'd see this season's second whitewash, before Wright held his nerve to take out 33 after hitting 17 at the end of a 121 finish on the bull.
But it was a mere consolation for the Scot, averaging 88 to van Gerwen's 101.
The three-time world champion is in the position he has finished in the Premier League table for each of the past six seasons after that victory.
A stunning comeback from Mensur Suljovic earned him him a 7-5 victory over Rob Cross.
The Austrian was 4-0 and 5-1 down against the former world champion, before the momentum totally flipped in a crazy match.
Checkouts of 74 and 89 helped Voltage cruise to a 4-0 lead, but from 5-1 the Englishman spurned 4 darts at double, with the Gentle hitting 4 out of 6 to level the scores.
Suljovic then punished Cross' 7 missed darts for a point by hitting a 136 checkout to take the lead and then a 120 to win.
Michael Smith confirmed his place in the second phase of the competition with a nervy 7-5 win over Gerwyn Price.
The 2018 runner-up took advantage of Price missing five darts at a double in the opening two legs to move into a 2-0 lead only for the Grand Slam champion to take the next two,
The Bully Boy won three of the next five legs, while Price stayed in touch with 116 and 141 checkouts.
Smith went 6-4 ahead before Price forced a decider with a 14-dart leg, but blew two darts for a draw allowing Smith to come back and finish 90 on the bullseye for the match.
Both players had 17 darts at double, Price missed 12 of those while Smith converted 7.
Dimitri van den Bergh came agonisingly close to becoming the first of this season's Contenders to win but James Wade used all his experience to snatch a well-deserved draw.
The two-time World Youth champion, tipped to become a Premier League regular in years to come, made a fast start when moving into a 2-0 lead before a persistent draught prompted both players to leave the stage.
The Machine then hit back with a 106 checkout and a 14 dart-leg to level, before the Belgian responded by hitting a 180 in a 12-darter.
The Dream Maker kicked of the next leg with a maximum, and ended it with a 140 checkout for a second consecutive 12-dart leg
The 2018 European and World Series champion drew himself back level again before the Belgian responded with a 121 checkout on the bull, with The Englishman waiting on tops after hitting a 180.
After Wade levelled again at 5-5, Van den Bergh guaranteed himself a draw before missing one dart at double seven for the match, as Wade stepped in on double 10 to avoid defeat.
THURSDAY
Raymond van Barneveld's Premier League career ended with consecutive 7-1 defeats to Daryl Gurney and Michael van Gerwen at the end of a poor season.
Barney found himself in real danger of a whitewash when the ruthless world champion stormed into a 4-0 lead, with Barney averaging in the 80s.
He got a leg on the board, which the 10,000 strong crowd greeted with chants of "Barney Army," but that was the only silver lining as the defending champion reeled off the next three in succession to complete an emphatic victory which keeps him top of the table.
Van Gerwen averaged 101.39 compared to Barney's 84.68, hit four more 180s with five and pinned seven of his 15 attempts at doubles as his opponent missed five of his six.
Rob Cross overcame Contender Jeffrey de Zwaan to claim a gutsy 7-4 victory.
Voltage found himself up against it after the Dutchman opened up with back-to-back 12-dart legs with 84 and 151 checkouts, the latter bringing the home crowd to it's feet.
The Englishman pulled a leg back before another 12-darter from the Black Cobra restored his two-leg cushion at 3-1 before the former world champion pinned double one to start the comeback.
Cross silenced the booing crowd with four legs on the spin and a 124 checkout on the bull.
De Zwaan pulled one back but Cross got the job done in the next, hitting his eighth 180 of the match to help him towards victory.
Daryl Gurney maintained his hot streak of form as he overpowered Mensur Suljovic 7-3 to make it three Premier League victories in a row.
The 2018 Players Championship Finals winner was struggling a few weeks ago after defeats to Rob Cross and James Wade and winning one leg in two matches.
But after stopping the rot with a draw with Peter Wright, he's now on a four-game unbeaten run.
The Northern Irishman sealed the win with match high finish of 84, hitting seven of 20 darts at double.
Suljovic had initially recovered from a 2-0 deficit to get back on level terms and when he trailed 5-2, a superb 12-darter suggested he could overcome a deficit similar to the one he managed against Cross the night before.
From then on the Austrian disappointed, missing eight of 11 double attempts, dropping below Gurney in the table.
Gerwyn Price edged a 7-5 victory over Peter Wright to end a run of three straight Premier League defeats.
Both players were well under-par, but the Iceman hit a 147 checkout in the opening leg and twice went close to the perfect leg, getting seven then six perfect darts into the nine in legs six and eleven respectively, finishing both legs in eleven darts
Not to be outdone, Wright hit the highest finish of the night with 160 to lead 3-2.
Price levelled before Wright went ahead at 4-3 and 5-4
Price then restored parity before his second nine-darter attempt, but had to settle for 11.
Wright then missed two darts to share the spoils in the final leg and Price made him pay by pinning tops to move up to nine points - one clear of the Scotsman.
You're the Contender (what if I say I'll never surrender?)
This year's Premier League has been different to any so far, not just that we have a mightily close fight for the play-offs, but also the format with the withdrawal on Gary Anderson.
I think bringing in a full-time replacement for the 2011 champion may have made for a more competitive season, with two players relegated instead of one, but I understand that given the short notice that was not viable.
What the Contenders have shown in the promise of the next generation of dart players, with some of the certain to feature in future years.
When it was announced, some of the nine regular players complained about one-off players making it unfair, as they wouldn't all face the same opponent.
I thought this a weak argument as all of the nine Contenders were adjudged to be weaker players than the Scot - he was selected outright due to his position in the order of merit - so in truth they got off lightly with his absence.
None of the Contenders won, meaning cumulatively they would have been relegated, therefore proving my point that nine weak opponents of differing abilities is favourable to a two-time back-to-back champion of the world.
Points won by the Contenders will not count towards the league table, but their opponents will retain theirs if they earn any from the match.
The player who finishes ninth in the table after Judgement Night in Rotterdam on 28 March will be eliminated.
The remaining eight throwers will then battle it out for a place in the top four to make it to the play-offs at The O2 Arena, London on 23 May.
FIXTURES & RESULTS
Night One Results
7 February, Newcastle
James Wade 7-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Gerwyn Price 7-4 Daryl Gurney
Chris Dobey 6-6 Mensur Suljovic
Michael van Gerwen 7-5 Michael Smith
Peter Wright 6-6 Rob Cross
Night Two Results
14 February, Glasgow
Peter Wright 6-6 Michael Smith
Rob Cross 7-4 James Wade
Raymond van Barneveld 6-6 Gerwyn Price
Daryl Gurney 7-3 Glen Durrant
Mensur Suljovic 3-7 Michael van Gerwen
Night Three Results
21 February, Dublin
Gerwyn Price 6-6 James Wade
Steve Lennon 5-7 Peter Wright
Michael van Gerwen 7-2 Rob Cross
Michael Smith 5-7 Daryl Gurney
Mensur Suljovic 6-6 Raymond van Barneveld
Night Four Results
28 February, Exeter
Luke Humphries 6-6 Gerwyn Price
Daryl Gurney 1-7 Rob Cross
Mensur Suljovic 7-4 Peter Wright
Michael van Gerwen 3-7 James Wade
Michael Smith 7-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Night Five Results
7 March, Aberdeen
Michael Smith 3-7 Rob Cross
Daryl Gurney 0-7 James Wade
Mensur Suljovic 3-7 Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright 7-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Michael van Gerwen 6-6 John Henderson
Night Six Results
14 March, Nottingham
Nathan Aspinall 2-7 Michael Smith
James Wade 3-7 Mensur Suljovic
Rob Cross 7-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Gerwyn Price 2-7 Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright 6-6 Daryl Gurney
Night Seven Results
21 March, Berlin
Gerwyn Price 4-7 Rob Cross
James Wade 6-6 Peter Wright
Michael van Gerwen 5-7 Daryl Gurney
Michael Smith 2-7 Mensur Suljovic
Max Hopp 3-7 Raymond van Barneveld
Night Eight Results
27 March, Rotterdam
Gerwyn Price 5-7 Michael Smith
James Wade 6-6 Dimitri van den Bergh
Rob Cross 5-7 Mensur Suljovic
Peter Wright 1-7 Michael van Gerwen
Raymond van Barneveld 1-7 Daryl Gurney
Night Nine Results
28 March, Rotterdam (Judgement Night)
Daryl Gurney 7-3 Mensur Suljovic
Peter Wright 5-7 Gerwyn Price
Rob Cross 7-4 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Raymond van Barneveld 1-7 Michael van Gerwen
James Wade 7-4 Michael Smith
Night 10 Fixtures
4 April, Belfast
Mensur Suljovic v James Wade
Michael Smith v Peter Wright
Rob Cross v Daryl Gurney
Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price
Night 11 Fixtures
11 April, Liverpool
Rob Cross v Peter Wright
Gerwyn Price v Mensur Suljovic
James Wade v Daryl Gurney
Michael Smith v Michael van Gerwen
Night 12 Fixtures
18 April, Cardiff
Mensur Suljovic v Daryl Gurney
Rob Cross v Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith v Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright v James Wade
Night 13 Fixtures
25 April, Birmingham
Mensur Suljovic v Michael Smith
Rob Cross v Gerwyn Price
Daryl Gurney v Peter Wright
James Wade v Michael van Gerwen
Night 14 Fixtures
2 May, Manchester
Rob Cross v Michael Smith
Peter Wright v Mensur Suljovic
Daryl Gurney v Michael van Gerwen
James Wade v Gerwyn Price
Night 15 Fixtures
9 May, Sheffield
Michael Smith v James Wade
Mensur Suljovic v Rob Cross
Daryl Gurney v Gerwyn Price
Michael van Gerwen v Peter Wright
Night 16 Fixtures
16 May, Leeds
Gerwyn Price v Peter Wright
Daryl Gurney v Michael Smith
Michael van Gerwen v Mensur Suljovic
James Wade v Rob Cross
Night 17 Fixtures
23 May, London
Semi-Finals (Best of 19 legs)
Two matches TBC
Finals (Best of 21 legs)
One match TBC
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