"When Gary's on, mate he's going to smash them to bits": James Wade says discount Gary Anderson at your peril as warning fired to Littler and Humphries

James Wade is through to the second round at the World Matchplay after he saw off Jermaine Wattimena 10-7 and for 'The Machine', his message was simple. Discount the old guard at your peril including Gary Anderson and Jonny Clayton.

Wade said that while Littler and Humphries are great, the whole narrative shouldn't be about them and that Anderson in particular can smash them if he wants as was seen with his brilliant 109 average today.

Wade, the former champion in Blackpool also was quick to write off any notion that it was vintage Wade as he spoke to the media including DartsNews.com after his win.

"It's not vintage, is it? It's just me doing my thing and I'm being fortunate to fall into a little bit of form," said Wade to the media including DartsNews.com.

"It's not vintage, it's not, you know, it's not anything magical. I've been here 25 years. I appreciate what you're saying, but it's not any of those things. It's just me being a little bit fortunate to fall on a little bit of form."

Asked if there was still a warm feeling, Wade again wasn't exactly fussed by the questioning saying it is more nerves and anxiousness than anything returning to Blackpool comparing it to being picked last on the school team.

"There's no warm feeling. It's bloody awful. I still get so nervous and so apprehensive and so unsure. I guess it's a bit like... The closer I'd describe it to is when you're really bad at football, as I was as a kid at school, and you know, all the kids are getting picked for football and you're so far down the picking order. And it's the same now, you know, it's the same experience, same feeling.

"I'm the last of the pecking order and I get nervous and I get really unsure of myself. And I just wanted to be a lesson to all children and all adults as well, you know. Even though you're far down the pecking order, you can still do a little bit of a turn."

He also said that he sought advice from his friends as he admitted that the pace of Wattimena does in fact get to him and he is screaming to himself for Machine Gun to slow down so he has a chance to breathe. "No, what was under my mind was to stop throwing so bloody fast because he does it to me every single time.

"When I'm trying to throw, he's like straight up my arse and he's back and reverse, you know. You just think, Jesus, just give me a bit of a chance.

"And this time, you know, I spoke to a friend of mine, Phil Carter, and he just said, just do your thing. And Phil's not even particularly close to me. Mark Wheeler's very, very close to me, which helps me a lot.

"But Phil said to me, you know, don't let him do it to you. Just slow it down a little bit. Slow it down a little bit and he won't bully you so much. And lo and behold, those people aren't that great at darts, but they know a little bit more about it than I do at times."

Wade then spoke about being nervous asking the interviewer if he gets nervous and telling him that when you aren't nervous, you don't want it enough.

"No, for me, that's a bit of education for yourself. Be nervous, be appreciative. And I think, yeah, be frightened and be aware of what those other people give to you. And that's not like patronising, but, you know, that's how I feel every single time I play darts, you know. I'm frightened, I'm nervous, I'm unsure of myself.

"And I think as soon as people stop doing things like that, they become blasé and they become quite ordinary. And if you're ordinary, you're not very good."

Wade went on to admit that he wishes the nerves weren't there and it is always a facet of the game that he wants to go away but it can't. "I wish the nerves would p*** off, to be fair. I've got no interest in them. I hate them. I hate being so nervous and I hate being so unsure. I'm 43, 43 years old. And I wish it just bugger off. But when it does bugger off, I guess that's the time I don't want to wait."

While the younger generation with Littler, Humphries and Nijman are still there, Wade said that Jonny Clayton and Gary Anderson should not be discounted. "Jonny is like, he's like granite, isn't he? It doesn't matter what you put in front of him. He's rock hard and he wants to fight every day of the week.

"He's a bloke who wants to go to the pub and have a row. And he does it every time. Well, it doesn't matter, the older generation. Gary Anderson, Jesus. I spoke to someone else and they said, when I saw the result and I went, "Was Ryan rubbish." And they went, "No, Gary's f*ing amazing."

"Apparently he was absolutely amazing. 110, 115. So, but there's no surprise from players like me because he's that bloody good. And all the nippers think they're that good. But yeah. Gary's magnificent, you know, and he always will be. He always can be. Just feel sorry for time."

Asked then about Humphries and Littler, Wade continued to heap praise on Anderson saying that he can beat them if he wants to. "You know, my opinion is on that. You know, they're amazing players. "You know, I think Luke Humphries is in tune with other players and Luke Littler is just doing his own little thing. But don't even think either of those two can escape players like Gary Anderson. Because when Gary's on, mate, he's going to smash into bits if he wants to. But also don't become in that bromance where Luke and Luke can't do the same job backwards."