"I'm here to be World Champion for myself and my family": Luke Humphries doesn't take motivation from Ally Pally favourite tag

Luke Humphries headed into the PDC World Darts Championship under his most pressure yet after becoming a three time major champion in the space of only two months and is now favourite to lift the famous Sid Waddell Trophy in January.

Humphries started off nervy seeing off Lee Evans in what could've been a tricky test for 'Cool Hand Luke', he spoke afterwards and admitted that he is not motivated by being the leader with the bookmakers and that he is doing it for his family and himself more than anything else.

"There's also another 10 or 12 people that also could win. So for me, you can't look into that too much. Maybe I deserve to be the favourite, maybe that is everyone else's different opinions but I'm here to be World Champion for myself and my family not for the people who put me as favorite and say I'm going to do it.

"Regardless of what happens in this tournament, I've had a fantastic year and for me, I've achieved a lot more than I've imagined.

He also admitted it was a box ticked and one that gives all the top players anxiety and that is winning through the opening round and now he can relax into Christmas and return for the second half knowing the first hurdle is gone.

"I wanted to hit a 110 average, but I just knew that wasn't going to happen. I just know when you're in that first game of the tournament every top player says they just want to get through it. It really builds up the anxiety, it feels like two different tournaments. It really does. I've got 10 days off now, what other major tournament in darts do you have that."

"I've got through that one and now when I come back after Christmas, I'll be in a different mindset. I'll be looking forward to it."

But also the pressure is not there he admits to become a multiple World Champion and he said that he would be satisfied with one citing Michael Smith now as a player who has done it so he can dare to dream but he cannot yet.

"If I can leave the game with one World title then it's mission accomplished. Michael has already got the one so it's definitely more achievable. If I win this in three weeks, maybe I'll say three or four. If I can win one, that'll be very well done."