Simon Whitlock has vowed to end his Premier League season on a high when he tackles world champion Michael van Gerwen in Cardiff on Thursday.
The Wizard of Oz heads to Wales knowing it will be his last appearance of the Premier League campaign after suffering relegation in Dublin last week.
But Whitlock is determined to mark his finale with an eye-catching performance.
“There are a lot of very big tournaments to come for the rest of 2014 so it’s an important match against Michael,” said Whitlock, who is based in Waterlooville.
“He is the best player in the world at the moment so it would give me a lot of encouragement for the rest of the year if I can play well against him and hopefully get the right result.
“There is no way I’m going there just to go through the motions. Every Premier League match is important and I want to do as well as I possibly can in this one.
“We are both delighted to be sponsored by Leyland Paints so hopefully we can put on a good show for them and the rest of the people watching.”
Whitlock’s Premier League hopes were dashed by four straight defeats at the start of the season.
“It was a really difficult start and, with the standard of players in the Premier League, it was always going to be tough to avoid elimination from that position,” added the world number four.
“I’ve not quite been at my best throughout the Premier League but I’ve learned plenty. I will go away and re-group and be ready for the rest of the year.”
Article courtesy of Simon Whitlock’s sponsor Leyland Paints.
Leyland Paints was founded in 1922 and has a long and distinguished history as a manufacturer and supplier of decorative paints, particularly targeted at tradesmen.