"He was always the number one in the manager's eyes": Michael Smith relishing Gary Anderson clash after previous stablemate ties

Michael Smith will face off against Gary Anderson in the other main tie of the opening round aside from Luke Littler v Michael van Gerwen and it is a tie he is relishing at the World Matchplay.

Especially given that Smith used to be a protege of Anderson and they used to be in the same stable. He said that since leaving too and Smith stepping out of his shadow, he tries his hardest to beat the St Helens ace.

"I love it. I love playing the best players. People think I'm lying when I do interviews and say I want Van Gerwen every game or Gezzy. I actually do as it tells you where you are as a player," said Smith to Weekly Dartscast.

"Playing someone like Gary who has been in some of his best form for last two years, I know it's going to be a tough test. Being underneath him for 10 years, I was in the same stable but he was always the number one in the manager's eyes. Now I'm not there and he tries his a*** off to beat me. Sometimes it never turns out that way."

Recently winning the World Cup of Darts, he said that he doesn't have the actual trophy and will have to settle for a replica. He also admitted that he now has the weight of England off his shoulders.

As well as chiming in about others clamouring over Luke Littler that even if he could, he was like 8th in line to qualify so wouldn't have been included anyway alongside Luke Humphries.

"Luke filled it full of beer and I don't drink beer, I only drink gin and tonic. So he had some out of that and then we had to give it back. So not one of us has had the trophy since. The prize money has come through and I said take the money out of my prize money to order me a replica trophy like I did with the Grand Slam. So hopefully that will come soon and it can go next to my World Championship and Grand Slam trophy then."

"I've been trying my hardest for the past four years. It's not been nice hearing you only won the World Cup due to Ady (Lewis) and Phil (Taylor) and you've got four stars but none of them belong to you. So to finally get the fifth star it was something special. I think you saw when that double eight went in for the match how both of us felt. He was bouncing, I was nearly crying. It was a tournament that has to be up there with the World's, it's like football with the European Championships and World Cup. You want to win them both. To have Luke by my side, he was hitting everything. It was a nice partnership made."

"I want to go back to defend it, Luke touched on it that he wanted me and him to go back. Sadly it doesn't work that way. You've only got to look at Aspinall, he's been fourth for two years running. He's not even had a chance."

"I was under pressure going into the World Cup as they were all crying for Littler, they want him in it. Sadly enough he was 25th and was like 12th or 13th in line. Then they were on about changing it to the best ProTour player on rankings and I think he was still 8th in that. It is motivation that if I stay in that I'm still one or two in England."

He also said that his World Cup partner has had an easy ride of sorts since the World's with Littler getting the attention and it was a feeling he didn't have when he won.

"When I won the World's I virtually took a year out. I played Premier League and all the TV events. I know what to expect next, It was carnage. I think this year Humphries has got away with it especially with Littler coming through. He's doing all the stuff. He's seeing the easy parts while I saw the arse end of it. I had to do everything."