RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD is refusing to take his position at the top of the McCoy's Premier League Darts table for granted when he faces Michael van Gerwen at the BIC in Bournemouth on Thursday night.
The five-time World Champion is the only player to have won both of his Premier League games so far this season, defeating Gary Anderson and Wes Newton with a brace of ton-plus averages.
Last year's Grand Slam of Darts winner and a semi-finalist in the World Championship, van Barneveld has impressed with his form so far, but believes he will face his biggest test yet in Thursday's all-Dutch battle.
"I've had a good run, winning the Grand Slam of Darts and then having a great World Championship where I reached the semi-finals," said van Barneveld. "My head is right and I'm saying to myself that I love the game again.
"It's important to make a good start because after nine weeks there is a cut-off and the bottom two are relegated. You don't want to be one of those players and you have to play well and win as many games as you can.
"Then the target is the Play-Offs, which is really important for me after missing them last year. But I'm not worried about that yet - I see every game as a final.
"This week I've got Michael van Gerwen and, behind Phil Taylor, he's the player in the best form and he was in the World Championship final, so there's a lot of pressure.
"He's a fellow countryman so this week we're going to see who is the best Dutchman at the moment. It's exciting."
Van Gerwen has soared up to fourth in the world rankings over the past year, winning the World Grand Prix, reaching the Grand Slam and World Championship finals and hitting two televised nine-darters.
His older rival has watched the 23-year-old since he emerged as a teenage prodigy almost a decade ago.
"What we saw of Michael in the last ten years is unreal," adds van Barneveld. "I remember he was a youth player in Finland and he won the youth event, and then took part in the mens singles event and won that too, and he did it in Norway.
"He is exceptional, a great player and he could win many World Championship titles from now. He could be one of the best players ever."
Last week's 7-2 win for van Barneveld included three ton-plus finishes as he swept past Premier League newcomer Newton.
"The game was good," he added. "I was surprised that it was a 100 average because during the game it felt more like a 95 average, but my finishing was good and those leg differences could be very important.
"I think it's a good result. Wes is a newcomer but that doesn't make him not dangerous because he's one of the best players on the ProTour, and I'll never forget that in the UK Open he beat me 9-1.
"I'm more experienced that Wes in the Premier League but he will grow."
Thursday's event in Bournemouth is set to be the third McCoy's Premier League Darts sell-out in as many weeks this season, with only a handful of tickets remaining at the BIC Box Office on 0844 576 3000.
McCoy's Premier League Darts
Week Three - BIC, Bournemouth
James Wade v Adrian Lewis
Robert Thornton v Wes Newton
Simon Whitlock v Phil Taylor
Michael van Gerwen v Raymond van Barneveld
Andy Hamilton v Gary Anderson