MERVYN KING is looking to continue his progress up the PDC Order of Merit in 2008, after scooping the Newcomer of the Year award.
King was rewarded for a fine first 12 months within the PDC system on Wednesday when he was named as the PDC's Best Newcomer.
King has won more prize money on the Order of Merit than any other new PDPA member inside the past year, and is now 23rd in the rankings.
He qualified for all the major televised tournaments, including reaching the quarter-finals of the Stan James World Matchplay, but was a second round casualty in the Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship.
King has now admitted that the move onto the PDC circuit from the BDO/WDF system has given his career a new lease of life.
"The standard's a lot higher, the prize money is a lot higher and, as far as I'm concerned I should have done this five years ago," he said.
"The standard is so much higher it's got me playing proper darts again.
"My last two years inside the BDO I didn't practice and I was still in the top five, so that gives you some idea of the difference in standard.
"I've practised my backside off for the past year and I'm climbing [the Order of Merit], but I'm not there yet.
"Hopefully I can keep going - I've played reasonable darts but I was gutted by my performance in the World Championship.
"It didn't happen for me and you have to take it on the chin, and come back another day."