Daryl Gurney aiming for winning start against Steve Beaton at PDC World Championships

The world title remains one of few championships to elude Gurney who has won two televised titles and three non-televised PDC titles, and the Waterside native is hopeful that this year could be his year to become world champion.

Gurney joined the Professional Darts Championship (PDC) in 2013 and is currently ranked 27th in the world, with the the top 32 players already guaranteed their spot in the second round of the tournament. That ranking means Gurney’s first game will be against English competitor Beaton who progressed through his first game of the tournament by beating Dutchman Wessel Nijman 3-1 having previously announced that this would be his final year on the PDC tour.

The two men will square up to one another at the oche at midday on Saturday, both aiming for a spot in the third round of the prestigious competition. For Beaton it’s a chance to end his PDC tour career with a bang while for Gurney the ‘carrot’ is to become the first Northern Irish man to lift the PDC World Championship trophy.

Indeed in a recent interview with ‘Online Darts’, the Derry man said he believes he is a better player now than when he was at his career highest of third in the world rankings.

“I think I’ve had a good enough year,” explained Gurney when asked to sum up his season, “I feel like I’m a better player now than when I was number three in the world but the standard has moved so much further on and that’s where I am, 20 odd in the ranking, and that’s where I deserve to be.

"I don’t believe I should be in the top 16, but I believe it’s a big improvement from last year, but I need to maintain it for next year.”