MARK DUDBRIDGE has spoken of his excitement at being back on darts' biggest stage at the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship.
The Bristol ace, who was the runner-up in the 2005 World Championship final against Phil Taylor, missed out on the event for the first time in a decade last year.
He had undergone shoulder and elbow surgery in November 2012 to cure a long-standing problem with Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, and having slid down the rankings during the year he failed in a last-ditch bid to win an Alexandra Palace spot when he competed in the PDPA Qualifier only a fortnight after his operation.
However, runs to two Players Championship semi-finals in recent months saw Dudbridge move back up the rankings - earning him a World Championship return through the ProTour Order of Merit.
He faces Gary Anderson in first round at Alexandra Palace on Saturday night, and the former World Masters winner and World Matchplay finalist can hardly hide his delight at being back in the big-time.
"It's going to be massive to be back on that stage and on the TV screens," said Dudbridge, in an exclusive interview for the OfficialPDC YouTube Channel. "It makes me smile even thinking about it.
"It's something that I'll relish because it's an amazing buzz and I didn't know if I'd ever get there again.
"When you get onto stage, you can relax. It's a relief and it's the prize we're playing for, and I'm especially pleased to come through the field at the moment because we all know how difficult and demanding the circuit is.
"It's been difficult but I've tried to stay positive, and I kept going on the circuit even when things were going bad. I was getting beaten but I was determined to keep going and I didn't miss any ProTours, and hopefully now everything can change for me.
"This is one more step back on the ladder, and hopefully I can keep going up. I'm buzzing again, I'm so up for the challenge."
Click below to watch the interview with Mark Dudbridge