‘I’m not on the posters any more, you know, it’s hard’ – Darts legend opens up on pain after dropping down the rankings

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD admits it is "hard" to no longer be a favourite to win the World Darts Championship.
The five-time world champion has dropped down the rankings in recent years and last reached the final of a major in 2018 at the Masters.
But Barney is confident he can beat anyone on his day, with world number one Luke Humphries a potential third-round opponent.
However Van Barneveld still finds it difficult that he is no longer considered one of the favourites to win the worlds.
He told the : "I’m not on the posters any more, you know. It’s hard that no one says, 'Oh Ray’s going to win this'.
"We have to be realistic. I’m 57 years old, I came back after I retired. But in my head, anything is still possible.
"I know if I win my first round and Humphries wins his first round, we meet already quite soon in the championship, but if you’re strong enough in your head and you work hard and you believe that you can do this, I wouldn’t be surprised if I can give Luke a good game or maybe even beat him."
Van Barneveld, 57, last won the World Darts Championship in 2007, which is also the same year he last won a PDC event - winning the UK Open and the Dessert Classic.
But he is still a regular on Tour and reached the fourth round at Ally Pally last time out, where he lost to runner-up Luke Littler.
Van Barneveld believes he can still beat the best, and he send a warning to potential opponent Humphries.
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Second round draw (seeded vs first-round winner)
He continued: "I can do a lot of damage and everyone knows that. I’m pretty sure if Luke meets me in the third round, he’s pretty sure that he needs to play a good game against me, otherwise I will maybe punish him.
"The whole world knows that, I know that, but it has to happen on that night.
"He knows what I can do, but he’s the one at the moment, he’s the best player. But, honestly, it doesn’t really matter if you get Michael van Gerwen first round, [Ricardo] Pietreczko or Martin Schindler or Gian van Veen.
"You know you always have to play your top game and that’s what I’m going to do and that’s what I’m going to prepare myself for.”