LUKE HUMPRHIES is out to prove that his run to the quarter-finals of the World Championship was no one-off as he makes his Unibet Premier League debut in Exeter on Thursday.
A winner of eight Development Tour titles, 24-year-old Humphries came of age at Alexandra Palace in December as he ended Rob Cross' reign as World Champion in a scintillating performance which saw him pocket £50,000 in reaching the last eight.
Humphries also defeated Stephen Bunting and Dimitri Van den Bergh in darts' biggest-ever tournament, and now the Berkshire man is looking to replicate that form on the Premier League stage as he takes on Gerwyn Price at Westpoint Exeter.
"I'm out to show everyone that my performances at the Worlds weren't a flash in the pan," said Humphries, who will face Vincent van der Voort on Friday on the Main Stage at the UK Open.
"You never know how you're going to adapt to the big stage and playing on TV but i adapted to it really well, and looking back it was a great feeling to be able to do something I never thought I would be able to do.
"When I play on TV it makes me come alive, there's just something about it that makes you focus more, I think that is the same for a lot of the younger players.
"A good performance on Thursday would boost my confidence and I think it's come at the right time for me because I'm not playing too well on the floor at the moment."
Humphries topped the Development Tour Order of Merit in 2017 which earned him a place at Alexandra Palace for the first time in January 2018, and also won him a two-year Tour Card.
The rising star became the first player to top the Development Tour rankings for two successive years at the end of 2018 and has risen into the world's top 64 for the first time on the back of his World Championship success which saw him named as one of nine Premier League Contenders.
"When my manager told me I was in the Premier League I felt very proud, but now I'm feeling excited to get up there," Humphries added.
"A lot of people say it's only one game but I think this one game could kick-start my year and prove that I belong up there.
"I know it will be a tough game against Gerwyn but I definitely think I can win.
"He is playing really well at the minute and I know he will play well on Thursday so I need to stick in there and try to match his heavy scoring.
"My finishing is going really well so if I can stay with him then I think I will take the chances that come my way.
"The pressure is all on him, he's the one who needs the two points, whereas I can just go up there feeling relaxed.
"I'm very hard to peg back once I get in front so he will need to get off to a strong start to feel comfortable playing against me."
Night Four of the Unibet Premier League in Exeter will be shown live on Sky Sports, worldwide through the PDC's broadcast partners, and through PDCTV-HD for Rest of the World Subscribers.
Night Four - Thursday February 28
Westpoint Exeter
Luke Humphries v Gerwyn Price
Daryl Gurney v Rob Cross
Mensur Suljovic v Peter Wright
Michael van Gerwen v James Wade
Michael Smith v Raymond van Barneveld
Tickets: 08444 99 99 55 or click here