“I think after a month, I thought, they’re all w******” – Josh Rock on how awe quickly turned to bravado during his first steps with the PDC

Josh Rock has looked back with a wink at his first steps among the world elite. Where he was initially in awe of his great idols, that feeling quickly shifted. “I think after a month, I thought, they’re all w******,” joked the Northern Irishman.

The current world number seven could hardly believe his eyes when he first shared a players’ room with men he had admired on TV as a child, including his idol Gary Anderson.

Rock made a name for himself in short order with, among other things, a World Cup of Darts title and multiple semi-finals at majors — achievements he already had on his résumé before turning 25.

On the Talking Bollox Podcast, he describes how surreal his first days as a pro felt: “It’s obviously fantastic. It’s weird, obviously. They always say don’t meet your hero, but when I met him, he just took me straight away. He always calls me his boy. I absolutely love it."

The first time Rock stepped into the players’ room with his tour card made a deep impression: “It was the first day when I obviously got my tour card and walked into that room, seeing Michael van Gerwen and seeing Gary. The just body started shaking. Even though I’m there as a professional too.”

That awe, however, quickly gave way to self-belief — and a healthy dose of bravado. “I think after a month, I thought they’re all w******.” Rock also sees clear similarities between his own game and that of Anderson, particularly in scoring power:

“The reason I always compare myself to Gary Anderson is because he won two world titles from scoring because he was that much of a power scorer. He gave himself extra darts at a double before anyone else got there."

Although Rock is ambitious and wants to become the best player in the world one day, he realizes the competition is fierce — especially with the rise of Luke Littler. “You can, but it’ll be a very, very long time because he’s that far in front. I could win every single thing this year and still not be anywhere close to number one in the world. It just shows how far ahead he is."

Still, Rock sees opportunities in the longer term, partly due to rising prize money: “That helps close the gap. So, I just have to keep plugging away. Hopefully, he dips in form.”

Rock knows he still has years to achieve his goals and points to the long careers of icons like Peter Wright and Raymond van Barneveld. “I could have 25, 30 years at this game. You have Peter Wright still playing who’s 30. He wishes he was 30. You’ve got Raymond van Barneveld, 63, as well."

Strikingly, it’s not fame or visibility that resonates most with Rock, but something small and nostalgic: “The one that gets me the most is like the football cards. Obviously, growing up, the Match Attax, you were all happy you got the Ronaldo 100 Club and stuff. Then seeing a signature, one of mine, you’re like, hell, I used to collect them. Now, there’s actually ones of me. They’re the ones that get me. I used to love Match Attax when I was younger.”