COLOURFUL Peter Wright admits that a lesson in darts from Michael van Gerwen at last year's World Championship has forged his bid to break into darts' elite.
Wright lost 4-2 to van Gerwen in the second round of the World Championship in December - having led by two sets early on only to take two legs as the Dutch star stormed to victory.
Having broken into the world's top 32 last year and won his maiden ranking title in October, Wright had been flying high going into the event, but admits that the defeat brought him back to earth with a bump as van Gerwen went on to reach the final and then win the Premier League this May.
The Lowestoft ace, who represented Scotland in the 2012 World Cup, has since reached his first major televised semi-final at the Speedy Services UK Open earlier this month and powered to victory in Saturday's Players Championship in Crawley.
Wright has now moved up to a career-high 20th in the PDC Order of Merit and is guaranteed a spot in all this year's major TV events following last weekend's £10,000 success.
"When I played Michael last year in the World Championship, that taught me a lot," revealed Wright. "I knew I had to change things to get things right.
"I want to be winning major events and get into that top four and Premier League, like he has, instead of thinking that I'm happy to be sitting at 20-odd or 30-odd in the world.
"I want to be up there with the rest of the guys and I've put a lot of work in to get here. It's not quite there on the big stage yet, but it will be. I'm working on it.
"The top 16 is my next target and, by the end of the year, I want to be in the top ten.
"I want to be pushing into the Premier League and I'll be pushing myself hard on the practice board to try and make sure I get in it."
Wright is aiming to continue his form in this weekend's Gibraltar Darts Trophy tournament, which is the latest £100,000 European Tour event to be held this year.
Wright kicks off his challenge on Friday night against Mark Hylton - watch live coverage from all main stage games at the Gibraltar Darts Trophy in LIVEPDC.TV and through the Ladbrokes and William Hill websites.