Durrant on making PDC World Championship debut next month: 'I am revelling in this opportunity'

Durrant spoke to the assembled media at the PDC World Championship media launch; including DartsNews.com and said that ahead of it he does have some parts of his game he needs to change but that he is very excited.

"It's like a school exam, I've got some revision to do some stuff I need to put right. I always feel like I can do that in my own environment and on my own dartboard. Like the old BDO days, I will be putting in double the practice. I really need to work on my doubles; but I am very excited."

He also spoke about the scrutiny he has got since coming over; he said that he has proved people wrong as a result with his performances this year.

"Michael (Van Gerwen) just said the three stars, is Tesco giving them away so loads of respect off Michael so I will remember that when I play him at Ally Pally," he joked.

"I think the impact of me coming over is a lot of scrutiny on me this year and being quite bullish I think I've done really well. Whatever targets I've set I've exceeded them and Ally Pally feels like a bit of a bonus for me."

"I'm very proud to be a seed; had my Grand Slam money counted I would have been close to that top 16 but I want that cherry on the cake."

"When I was a BDO player, people would write to me on social media and say you're nothing more than a pub player; you wouldn't last with Van Gerwen, Anderson so to come here and win a couple of titles, semi-finals in majors and to go on and win the biggest prize of them all, I'd be the best player in the world for one day only."

Durrant continued and spoke about Matthew Dennant who came so close to beating him at Q-School which in reality would have led to a completely different outcome.

He said that as a result of him changing his life, he will be sponsoring 'The Scholar' at Q-School in January; as well as that he has him to thank for giving him these life-changing opportunities.

"I am sponsoring Matthew Dennant, I'm paying for his Q-School this year and I've promised him a patch from a sponsor; because that guy changed my life. The probability is that I'd be sat at work now thinking about the only week in the BDO calendar that excited me and that was the World Championships but instead I am revelling in this opportunity."

'Duzza' also spoke about Lakeside and gave his memories of the place knowing he will be the final champion in the great venue and said he is going to go back and said that you truly had to be there to experience it in it's full glory.

"Lakeside was my home, I'm going to go back, I don't care if I have a night in Lakeside, room 187 I stayed in; a real special place. It was an iconic place, it was scruffy; but there was something about when they put the lights on and put the table cloths out."

"A final, you had to be there to appreciate how electric it was so I am honoured to be a three time BDO champion and very honoured to be the last person to win Lakeside."

In terms of the Premier League, Durrant has been heavily linked with next year's line-up which he says is 'flattering' but he says he'd take a World Series berth in New York when it goes to Madison Square Garden over it to truly mark his 50th birthday.

"I find it very flattering, talking to Simon Whitlock who thinks I am in a very good chance and there's Mensur, Chizzy and I think Ian White deserves a shot. If you offered me New York, I'll take that over Premier League. I've had a dream that on my 50th birthday I wanted a Home Alone moment of the snow in New York; so it's all booked up for next year so imagine if I got that New York experience in my 50th year at the World Series.

"The Premier League is a dream but if I get beat in the Last 64 at the Ally Pally I don't deserve to be in the Premier League, I've set a foundation with those three semi-finals; now I have to go and make something special; a Quarter-Final or Semi-Final could cement that place."