‘Mighty Mike’ has world title focus

Michael van Gerwen at Oldham’s Night of Darts Champions

MICHAEL van Gerwen appears determined to regain the coveted PDC World Championship title in 2016.

The 26-year-old Dutch star was in Oldham for the ‘Night of Champions’ event and exclusively told the Chronicle he is confident of rounding off a breathtaking 2015 with darts’ ultimate prize for a second time at the Alexandra Palace in London.

The PDC world champion in 2014, ‘Mighty Mike’ lost to eventual new king Gary Anderson at the semi-finals as he fought for his second championship..

But tournament wins have been numerous this year, meaning van Gerwen has been installed as the bookies’ 5-4 favourite to lift the sport’s biggest title again on January 3.

“I have had a fantastic year so far, and I’m really delighted with how I’m playing and what I’m doing at the moment,” said van Gerwen, who clinched the World Matchplay, Grand Slam of Darts, UK Open and World Series of Darts among other titles.

“It’s probably been the best year of my career, so of course I’m hoping now that I can extend that for another couple of years at least.”

The £1.5m tournament gets under way tomorrow, with van Gerwen — who has won £1,291,750 in prize money on his own this year — set to take on either Thailand’s Thanawat Gaweenuntawong or German Rene Eidams in the first round on Friday night.

LISTEN to Michael van Gerwen speaking exclusively to Simon Smedley here: