Van Barneveld - champion in both codes.

Date of birth: 20.04.67
Home town: Den Haag (Holland)
Nickname: Barney
Major titles: World Championship (five times), World Masters (twice), Las Vegas Desert Classic (once), UK Open (twice)
World Championship best: Winner (five times)
Walk-on music: Eye of the Tiger

Van Barneveld rolls up at Alexandra Palace after the most barren of his three seasons on the PDC tour.

Not only has he ceded the three major titles he won in 2007 and claimed only one Pro Tour event (one Phil Taylor and James Wade skipped) he felt so drained he took a two-month break from competitive action after the Match Play.

To put it frankly, his performances prior to that sabbatical suggested a rest was long overdue and he looked back to something approaching his best on his return as only Taylor bettered him at the World Grand Prix in Dublin.

He did beat 'The Power' in Bolton in what looked to be a watershed moment in a disappointing season but then crashed out to Gary Mawson, the latter sadly a more telling pointer as to how his season has gone.

That said, van Barneveld is a four-time BDO world champion and won the PDC title in his first year after switching codes, beating Taylor 7-6 at the Circus Tavern in what is widely regarded as the greatest final of all time.

A former postman in his homeland, van Barneveld was a twice World Masters winner during his time in the BDO and is widely credited as being the darting inspiration for the likes of Michael van Gerwen and Jelle Klaasen.