"I'm dreaming about picking up that trophy" - Mike De Decker enters 2025 World Darts Championship as genuine contender after breakthrough year

Mike De Decker has had a breakthrough year in 2024. The 28-year-old Belgian won the World Grand Prix in October and heads into the upcoming PDC World Darts Championship with particular confidence. De Decker starte as the 24th seed and will take on the winner of the duel between Luke Woodhouse and Lourence Ilagan.

De Decker defeated world number one Luke Humphries 6-4 in the final of the World Grand Prix, proving himself as a genuine World Championship contender. "It's been brilliant. I didn't expect to win the Grand Prix. I'd never reached the last 16 before that," De Decker told Sky Sports. "It's been a massive change in my career, in my life even. It's been amazing."

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'The Real Deal' self-admittedly used to suffer from stage fright and has never got beyond the last 64 at the World Darts Championships in the past. But this year, because of his strong performances, he is heading to Alexandra Palace with a lot of confidence. "If you do well in these tournaments you have a lot of confidence going into the big one, the Worlds. It's a massive help, doing well," he explains. "I was always kind of scared to go on stage and play in front of a big crowd. Now I'm just feeling OK with it. I'm not more nervous than I am at a floor tournament. I'm feeling more confident than ever."

Mike De Decker in action last month at the Players Championship Finals

"I'm dreaming about just maybe once picking up that trophy," De Decker continued. "But for now, I'm just hoping to survive Christmas. It's always been two games and now it's just one game I need to win. So hopefully I can do it this time."

De Decker often has the audience in his hands with his walk-on song "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley and the Wailers. "It did the last couple of years [make me nervous] but now I'm enjoying the walk-ons, I'm enjoying the crowd. So no, not more nervous than before," he says. "I've had it at the European Championships. I had it in Prague at the European Tour. It gives me chills if John McDonald calls it. I think everyone who's a dart player wants to be No 1 of the world or a world champion, so that's a goal for me. I just want to get as high in the rankings as I can."

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