GARY ANDERSON has not ruled himself out to be an “outsider” to win the World Grand Prix.

The two-time Team Unicorn World Champion takes on Jose de Sousa in the first round at the Morningside Arena in Leicester tonight (Monday).

Anderson, 52, has never won the double-start tournament, his best performance being runner-up in 2016.

But after winning the last Players Championship on Friday, he has a glint back in his eye.

He said: “I don’t think it will be a favourite, I think it will be an outsider. Luke Humphries, Chizzy (Dave Chisnall), Chris Dobey. Maybe an old 52-year-old, you never know!

“It can be wide open. If the draw worked out and I wasn’t going to win, Luke and Chizzy. Chizzy’s playing well, he’s doing what he’s always been capable of.

“Nowadays, get me to a dartboard, I enjoy playing darts. I’m not going to say ‘I need to do this’. It doesn’t help me. I just turn up and play darts.

“My practice over the kids’ holidays has not been great. I think I’ve practiced with Ryan (Searle) two or three times since Blackpool. Then we’ve had Barnsley since then.

“I’ve been busy doing other things. I came here this week feeling alright.

“I played Luke in the semis and I hit a brick wall. You can’t do that against Luke.

“Luke and Chizzy are the boys right now to watch out for. They are mustard the now.

“I just play darts. When I play Ryan, he’ll tell you. I’m averaging between 104 and 112 every time we play. I might get the odd 90 but it’s not very often.

“They are going well. But the last few days have done me, I’m struggling now!

“I do giggle when I win, I must admit. Some of the boys, like I said earlier, Luke Humphries, Chizzy, MVG back on the stage, he’s had a few bad days.”

Anderson admits that he enjoys the ProTour banter with his mates and that a switch of darts has upped his level.

On winning the Players Championship on Friday, he added: “Yesterday and the day before, if I was going to win it, it was going to be those days.

“Today it has been anything but the way I’ve played the previous two days. It’s a strange game. We got there in the end, happy with that.

“The new darts are a wee bit thicker. I love my shape-barrelled darts and probably in six weeks time I’ll be back to them.

“The straight-barrelled darts are sliding out of my hand. It’s a bit like a push now instead of a throw. They are going alright.

“I like coming away and catching up with the boys. Adie (Lewis) is now here and I miss him quite a bit. Ian White is there, it’s a good laugh, it helps.”

Session Schedule
Monday October 2 (6pm)
First Round:
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Brendan Dolan
Jose de Sousa v Gary Anderson
Krzysztof Ratajski v James Wade
Martin Schindler v Raymond van Barneveld
Nathan Aspinall v Stephen Bunting
Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert
Michael Smith v Callan Rydz
Rob Cross v Andrew Gilding

Story by Phil Lanning