FEBRUARY 16 marks a decade since Raymond van Barneveld made his debut in the PDC as he kicked off the 2006 Premier League season in Blackburn - here we look at his top five moments.
Van Barneveld moved onto the PDC circuit ten years ago, being unveiled at a pre-Premier League Press Conference in Manchester by PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
He has since become a mainstay of the Premier League during its incredible expansion, and has enjoyed many great nights in the tournament, including two nine-darters and victory in the 2014 Play-Offs.
Here, we look at some of the most memorable nights in Raymond's Premier League history...
5 - Immediate Impact
The Premier League newcomer made a stunning impact with an 8-1 victory over Ronnie Baxter, hitting three 180s to delight the King George's Hall crowd. Week Two saw him hit five ton-plus checkouts in an 8-4 defeat of Wayne Mardle in Sunderland and he would lose just once in the league stage of the season.
4 - Perfection In Aberdeen
The 2010 season was a tough one for the Dutch star as he won just five matches and missed out on the Play-Offs for the first time, but a high point came when van Barneveld landed a brilliant nine-darter in Week 12 against Terry Jenkins in Aberdeen.
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3 - Gutsy In Glasgow
Van Barneveld's greatest rival throughout his career has been Phil Taylor, and while the pair have enjoyed many thrilling battles, none have been played to as high a standard as their 2015 meeting in Glasgow. Taylor threw the proverbial kitchen sink at van Barneveld, but the superb Dutchman emerged victorious 7-4 despite his rival's record losing average of 115.80.
2 - Nine-Dart History
Van Barneveld wrote his name into the history books with the first Premier League nine-darter as he achieved perfection against Peter Manley in Bournemouth. A memorable night also saw him draw with Phil Taylor in their first Premier League meeting.
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1 - Finally The Champion
Van Barneveld went into the 2014 Play-Offs with the unwanted record of losing in all six previous semi-finals, while he had also never defeated Phil Taylor in the Premier League. However, he smashed both records with an 8-5 win in their last four clash before he defeated fellow countryman Michael van Gerwen 10-6 in the final to finally claim the coveted trophy.
Raymond van Barneveld's Betway Premier League Record
2006 | Second in League Table, Semi-Final Loser |
2007 | Second in League Table, Semi-Final Loser |
2008 | Third in League Table, Semi-Final Loser |
2009 | Third in League Table, Semi-Final Loser |
2010 | Sixth in League Table |
2011 | Second in League Table, Semi-Final Loser |
2012 | Fifth in League Table |
2013 | Second in League Table, Semi-Final Loser |
2014 | Second in League Table, CHAMPION |
2015 | Fourth in League Table, Semi-Final Loser |