World Matchplay: I still think I am world's best player - Gerwyn Price

Gerwyn Price believes he is heading back to his best ahead of the 2022 World Matchplay at Blackpool's Winter Gardens.

Former world champion Price takes on Germany's Martin Schindler - a debutant in this tournament - in the first round on Monday.

Welshman Price, 37, says he is determined to reclaim his place at the top of the world rankings.

"In my head I think I am still the best player in the world," Price said.

"2022 hasn't been the best for me but I have got a lot of reasons for that. I want to win events. I would love to get back to world number one and keep hold of it."

Price was world number one for 14 months after winning the PDC World Darts Championship for the first time in 2021.

But he was knocked off top spot by 2022 world champion Peter Wright earlier this year.

"I broke my hand in March, from then to now there have been more downs than ups," Price added.

"But I think towards the end of the year the form will come back, I will find my feet again and people can look out."

Price, the world number two, has a disappointing record at the World Matchplay, which takes place between 16-24 July.

But Price believes he can make an impression in Blackpool if he can produce his "A game all the way through".

"I never do really well up in Blackpool - I am not too sure why," he added. "But it only takes one good year to get that monkey off my back.

"It was the same in the World Championship. The first three or four years I could only get through the first round, but after the one year I did well, everything seems to have come since then.

"I have never gone past the quarter-finals [at the World Matchplay], but hopefully this year I can pick up the trophy."

Price's fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton also heads into what he calls his favourite tournament with confidence.

Clayton, ranked eighth in the world, faces Austria's Rowby-John Rodriguez in his first-round match on Saturday.

"I love the venue. I find the crowd are serious darts fans," Clayton said.

"As a player I really enjoy Blackpool so hopefully I can win that trophy."

Clayton, 47, is pressing ahead with plans to give up his job as a Carmarthenshire County Council plasterer to focus exclusively on professional darts.

"That happens at the end of the year," he said. "I enjoy going to work, but it's a different mindset, thinking of your trowel instead of darts.

"It takes your mind off darts and basically I think it worked for me. I was always afraid, thinking if I give up the trowel and put too much pressure on my darts, will it go in the opposite direction instead of on the up, which it has been doing?

"But I think I am making the right decision.

"With all the tournaments I am in at the moment, there is just no room to be plasterer. I need to be concentrating on darts and on the practice board."

Price and Clayton are hoping that despite the hot weather, the Winter Gardens venue will be cooler than it has been in previous years.

"I know what a turkey feels like at Christmas," Clayton said. "It's that hot that it's uncomfortable, but you still try to do your job."