"I bring the best out of him, and he brings the best out of me" - Littler gears up for showpiece against Van Gerwen

Luke Littler is eager to take on Michael van Gerwen in the first round of the World Matchplay on Monday night. For "The Nuke," it will be his debut at the Winter Gardens.

The two world class players were able to meet because Van Gerwen had qualified for the World Matchplay through the world rankings and Littler through the Pro Tour. In the first round, a top-16 player is paired with one of the Pro Tour qualifiers.

"I think my reaction was the same as any darts fan - it's a blockbuster first round tie,'' Littler acknowledged. "It's going to be a completely new experience for myself on debut, but I've been putting the work in on the practice board, and I can't wait to get on that Winter Gardens stage.”

In more than six months, Van Gerwen and Littler have already faced each other nine times. Currently, Van Gerwen holds a 5-4 lead. However, the last two matches were won by Littler.

"I remember our first game in Bahrain when I got one over him, but we've played each other many times since,” Littler continued. "He beat me when he was on home soil in Den Bosch, and then we played each other many times during the Premier League. Playing Michael - I know I bring the best out of him, and he brings the best out of me. We always have good games, so I'm expecting the same on Monday.”

Littler could follow in the footsteps of Larry Butler and Dimitri van den Bergh this week, who previously won the World Matchplay title on their tournament debut. ''It would mean everything to beat a player like Michael in the first round,” admitted the World Youth Champion.“I think our side of the draw could open up for either one of us, so if I could get past Michael, I would fancy my chances for another good run.”