“If you can’t get yourself up for the World Darts Championship, you shouldn’t be playing” – Gary Anderson as motivated as ever ahead of 17th straight Ally Pally appearance

Gary Anderson is gearing up for his seventeenth consecutive appearance at the PDC World Darts Championship, returning to the Alexandra Palace stage that has defined some of the biggest moments of his career.

The two-time world champion enjoyed back-to-back title wins in 2014/15 and 2015/16, joining only Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis as players who have successfully defended the Sid Waddell Trophy at the sport’s most iconic venue. Across 16 previous campaigns at Ally Pally, he has reached at least the semi-finals seven times and won 52 matches.

Despite all that experience, Anderson insists the magic has never worn off. “Ally Pally is something special,” he told PDC.tv. “If you can’t get yourself up for it then you shouldn’t be playing the game. This is the icing on the cake, it’s the biggest tournament on the planet for us.”

The feeling kicks in long before he reaches the stage. “When you drive up that hill, that’s what gets your juices flowing, that’s what it’s all about. It’s all about December and the World Championship. If you’re playing badly the whole year, it doesn’t matter because you’ve still got that big one.”

Anderson heads into the World Championship on the back of another successful season, having claimed titles on both the European Tour and the Players Championship circuit. Those results placed him inside the top 20 of the ProTour rankings and secured a world ranking of number 14 heading into Ally Pally.

Yet his mindset has changed. “I just play for fun, I have no expectations whatsoever,” he explained. “When I play a game, if it works well, that’s great. But if it doesn’t, I get to go home. That’s how I look at it now and that’s why I don’t get panicked or stressed.”

He also knows criticism will always follow him. “You always get someone that says, ‘he’s past it now’, but I'm not. I don’t put as much time into it, but I'm still managing to play the top players. I just plug away.”

The Scot has been drawn against Tour Card Holder Qualifier Adam Hunt. On paper it’s a favourable draw, but Anderson has only once lost his opening match at the World Championship — last year’s early exit to Jeffrey de Graaf — and he knows how dangerous the first hurdle can be.

“Every one of us will tell you, the first round is a killer, that’s the hardest one,” he admitted. “That’s the hardest game, that’s when all the nerves kick in. If you get through, you kind of settle into the tournament after that.”

With the tournament now expanded to 128 players, Anderson believes the level across the field has never been higher. “I think now, if you take the top 64, they can all play the game. They’re all dangerous players. Over the next few years, I don’t think you’ll have one player winning everything. There’s going to be so much good talent coming through.”

As Anderson prepares to walk out at Alexandra Palace for the seventeenth year in a row, his blend of experience, form and newfound calm makes him one of the most intriguing names in the field. With a favourable draw but a first round he refuses to underestimate, the two-time champion heads to London with nothing to prove, nothing to fear, and every chance of adding another memorable chapter to his remarkable Ally Pally story.