JAMES WADE insists that he has nothing to prove ahead of a huge Grand Slam last 16 clash.

The Aldershot hotshot takes on Chris Dobey on Wednesday night for a place in the quarter-finals in Wolverhampton.

Team Unicorn star, Wade, 40, was typically brutally honest in his assessment of his form ahead of taking on Hollywood.

He blasted: “I’ve not got a lot to prove. I know what I’m capable of.

“I know a lot of players get a lot of interest in interviews and I get very little. That’s a fact.

“I’ve done enough in my career to justify those things. Some of that drives me I think.

“People who haven’t won quite as much do get media coverage. I’m not envious or jealous but I am here as well.

“I think I’ve earnt those rights. It drives me on in games to push forward and you have to interview me now!”

Wade pulled off the shock of the event so far by knocking out defending champ Michael Smith on Monday.

He added: “It was a bit in-betweeny. Thankfully Michael didn’t play well and I played well enough.

“I honestly believe he got nervous. That’s my thoughts. I watched his darts. I wasn’t playing well at all. I was more worried about me not firing.

“Last year I was rubbish. I’ve been rubbish for 18 months. There’s only been smidgens of things that have shown probably over the past four or five months.

“But I’m still keeping my head above water, still treading water. Hopefully I start playing well and I can stick it up the rest who are playing alright.

“You’ve got to be honest with yourself and be realistic. You can lie to yourself and say I’ve been really unfortunate, I’ve been really unlucky.

“There was a patch recently where I was playing really well and got no results. People close to me know you can’t keep smashing on like that and not get results.”

By Phil Lanning