FORMER Betfair World Matchplay champion Colin Lloyd has revealed his joy after securing his place in this year's Blackpool event, which will be held from July 21-29 at the Winter Gardens.
Lloyd took victory in darts' second-biggest major tournament when he won the 2005 World Matchplay, defeating Canada's John Part 18-12 in the final seven years ago.
The win, which Lloyd sealed with a 170 checkout, remains the greatest night of the Essex star's career - but he had faced the prospect of missing out on this year's event when he dropped out of the world's top 16 earlier this year.
However, a Players Championship victory last Sunday ensured that Lloyd will qualify to play in Blackpool later this month, and he admitted: "I'm over the moon.
"I love playing in Blackpool and I'm looking forward to going back to the World Matchplay and having a good crack at it. I'm throwing some good stuff at the minute and I'm enjoying myself, and I'm back to cause some damage!
"Hopefully I can go to Blackpool, play the way I've been playing and have a good run."
This month will mark two years since Lloyd reached the semi-finals of a major tournament, with his frustration at a loss of form in the big events boiling over at the 2011 World Championship when he punched the dartboard - an outburst which later saw him fined by the game's governing body.
He has returned to form, though, this year, knocking out reigning UK Open champion James Wade in Bolton last month and hitting a nine-dart finish in Berlin before winning last weekend's Players Championship.
"I've had a rough time of it, but of late I've not been beating myself up about losing matches," he said. "I've just been getting on with it, and I've been playing some really good stuff.
"I've told myself to stay positive and keep playing the stuff I have been doing and that the results would start to come, and more recently they have.
"I had 13 years or so inside the world's top 16, which I think it quite a run and matched only by Phil Taylor. I lost a bit of form but there are some great players coming through.
"Dave Chisnall, Justin Pipe and Paul Nicholson have all been going well and gone above me. In one way they've got the hard part to come because on the two-year ranking system they're not defending anything at the moment.
"I've been defending my ranking points for all those years and in this game you can't afford to have a lull. I had a lull but I've grafted hard and qualified now for Blackpool.
"I'm happy about that and I want to push on now and hopefully I can move back up the rankings again."
Lloyd joined the elite group of World Matchplay winners seven years ago with his success at the Winter Gardens, and admits: "It was the most special night of my career.
"I was number one in the world rankings at the time, but looking back through the history books John Part was probably the number two in the game behind Phil Taylor.
"John had knocked out Phil Taylor but I ended up beating him 18-12, and you can see my reaction at the end - I couldn't believe I'd won the World Matchplay.
"It's one of the best nights of my career and I made sure I enjoyed myself after that."
The Betfair World Matchplay will be held from July 21-29 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. Tickets for the event are still available by calling the Winter Gardens Box Office on 0844 856 1111 or by visiting www.blackpoollive.com.