Luke Humphries: "I want to create a legacy as a player that everyone is going to put in the top ten of the best ever dart players"

Luke Humphries starts this year's PDC World Darts Championship as one of the standout favourites. The 28-year-old Englishman meets the winner of the duel between Lee Evans and Sandro Eric Sosing in his opening match.

In top form, Humphries has claimed three of the last four major titles. "I’m riding the wave at the moment," opens 'Cool Hand Luke' in conversation with the PDC's official website. "I’m full of confidence and I think that makes me dangerous, because when I’m at my best, I am a very tough player to beat."

“I feel much more equipped this year than I have done at any other point of my career," Humphries continues. "And I really believe this could be my year.”

So Humphries thinks those first major titles are going to help him at the World Championship. "It’s no coincidence that when you win your first [title], it opens the floodgates and gives you the confidence to win more," he explains. “I believe it’s hard to just turn up and win the World Championship. I feel like you need a major title under your belt to then go on and win it, because it gives you that belief. If you make a World Championship final and you haven’t got that great memory of winning a big final I think it would be extremely difficult, but now I have that, everything changes.”

Over the past few years, Humphries has steadily worked his way up to the top. "It’s a battle getting to the top in darts, but when you’re battling anxiety as well, it’s even tougher,” he says openly. "I was almost ready to give the game up. I had some really tough moments, but I am really proud of myself for working through that."

"When I opened up on my struggles, it was a worry for me. I thought if I show weakness, maybe players will play on it and use it to their advantage, but all the players were very supportive. It’s not been an easy rise to the top, but I’ve worked hard and I think I deserve my success.”

Humphries has a clear goal for the coming years. "I want to create a legacy,” he concludes. "The money is great in darts, but that’s not what I play the game for. I play to win because that feeling of lifting major titles is priceless. I want to leave this sport one day as a player that everyone is going to put in the top ten of the best ever dart players. That is my goal."