GARY ANDERSON will return to the European Tour for the first time in SEVEN YEARS.

The Flying Scotsman won through the Tour Card Holder Qualifier in Barnsley to reach the Dutch Darts Championship next month.

Anderson, 52, has not played on the Euro Tour since 2016 but he defeated Tony Martinez and Devon Petersen to end his exile in excellent style.

The two-time World Champion recovered from 4-2 down to edge out Martinez, before surviving a late onslaught from Petersen, who fought back from 5-2 adrift to force a decider.

Anderson came agonisingly close to completing a qualification double of his own in Barnsley, having surrendered a 4-2 cushion against Raymond van Barneveld in their decisive showdown in the ET5 Qualifier.

In a battle of the former World Champions, Van Barneveld produced a mid-game burst to move 5-4 ahead, before defying a sublime 167 checkout from Anderson in leg ten to triumph in a last-leg shoot-out.

Premier League star Chris Dobey headlined the list of stars to come through in the ET5 Qualifier to reach The Austrian Darts Open (ET5) at the Steiermarkhalle in Graz from April 21-23.

European Champion Ross Smith will be another star attraction in the Dutch Darts Championship, alongside his Unicorn stablemate Anderson.

Smith beat Radek Szaganski 6-4 and William O’Connor 6-5 to gain qualification.