Lloyd: "You have to work hard, and Michael has proved that hard work really does pay off, and he is the man to beat this year."
Thursday 7 February 2019 20:21, UK
Colin Lloyd insists Michael van Gerwen is the man to beat in this year's Premier League, as 'The Green Machine' bids for a fourth consecutive title in the event.
The World No 1 has topped the league phase in each of the last six seasons and defeated Michael Smith in last year's showpiece, before going on to defeat 'Bully Boy' to scoop his third world title on New Year's Day.
Van Gerwen and Phil Taylor are the only players to top the league table in Premier League history, and speaking on the Darts Show podcast, Lloyd claims Van Gerwen's professionalism separates him from the current crop.
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"Michael is the ultimate pro. He does everything in the right way, he prepares himself in the right way," said the two-time PDC major winner.
"He gets to venues in enough time for interviews, press and he allows himself time to mentally prepare, physically prepare and when you're someone that does that, you're going to reap the rewards.
"MVG has been reaping a lot of rewards, the same as Gary Anderson, because they do things in the right way, in their own way.
"If you want to knock them off that perch, you've got to start taking a little leaf out of their book and thinking 'I can't come swanning into the venue an hour before your game'.
"You have to work hard, and Michael has proved that hard work really does pay off, and he is the man to beat this year," Lloyd added.
Nine of last year's line-up return full-time this year, with Simon Whitlock the only casualty from 2018, as nine-time major winner James Wade replaces 'The Wizard' in darts' ultimate roadshow.
The Premier League is renowned for making and breaking careers in equal measure, and Jaws' insists that players can't afford to dwell on the highs or lows.
"This year you've got nine of the top ten and Barney! I say that so nonchalantly but I don't mean it to sound like that. He's a class player, a class player," Lloyd said.
"Yes it's tough, but the rewards are there. If you want to be a top-class player, you want to be recognised and be up there in the rankings, you've got to travel and play the game the same as everybody else."
"You can't dwell on results. If you get a big result one week, you've got to stay confident, stay focused because you could get leathered the following week, and leathered the following week.
"You've got to stay so so positive because you're playing the best players in the world week in, week out and in between that you're still competing against those guys and all the other guys in the rankings at the weekend events."
Lloyd competed in the first three editions of the Premier League and reached the final in the tournament's inaugural staging back in 2005, and he admits it's a gruelling prospect, both mentally and physically.
"It's just 16 gruelling weeks of focus and mentally draining, physically draining darts, but if you're up for it, the rewards are massive," said the former World No 1.
"Everything is draining about it. You could be in Ahoy on Thursday, the Friday you may have to go to Barnsley for a European Tour qualifier, to play Saturday and Sunday on the Pro Tour events.
"Yes it's tough, but the rewards are there. If you want to be a top-class player, you want to be recognised and be up there in the rankings, you've got to travel and play the game the same as everybody else."
Don't forget that the Premier League action gets underway on Thursday, February 7 in Newcastle. You can also stay up to date by following us @SkySportsDarts and get all the latest news and interviews by heading to www.skysports.com/darts
