ROB CROSS believes that his debut season in the Unibet Premier League will be a "great opportunity" for the new World Champion to continue his development.
The 27-year-old has enjoyed an incredible rise over the past 12 months since joining the PDC circuit on a full-time basis.
Having won four ranking events and reached the European Championship final during 2017, he ended the year in fairy-tale fashion by claiming World Championship glory at Alexandra Palace.
A month on, he will make his Premier League debut against Michael van Gerwen at Dublin's 3Arena on Thursday night, and is excited by the chance to compete alongside the sport's top stars in the roadshow event.
"Last year was a bit of a whirlwind, a learning curve all the way through, and this year will be no different," said Cross. "Usually I deal with it and I'm going to enjoy it.
"The challenge of going out every week in the Premier League I think is excellent. It's a great opportunity to show what I can do.
"I've never experienced the Premier League so it's going to be a little bit new and it will take a couple of weeks to settle in, but it doesn't mean that I have got to play badly in the meantime."
Cross had lost to Van Gerwen in October's European Championship final before claiming revenge with a brilliant semi-final success over the world number one in their thriller at Alexandra Palace.
"We always have good games and I there's no fear there," said Cross. "I enjoy playing him.
"The World Championship semi-final was brilliant, but it's about what I do from now on going forward.
"At the same time I'm World Champion, but I think you come to a certain point where you have to forget about that if you want to win other trophies and have a good year."
Cross suffered his first defeat as World Champion when he lost out to Mensur Suljovic in the quarter-finals of the Unibet Masters on Sunday, and saw the event as another learning experience.
"Fair play to Mensur, he was brilliant," said Cross. "I don't feel like I've got a target on my back but I wasn't good enough.
"Maybe people expect you to win more games now but I felt like a rabbit in the headlights today and the intensity wasn't there.
"It was a bad day at the office. There's no excuses, I've just got to get better. I've got to pick myself up, dust myself off and practice for the Premier League, and I'll be fine.
"A few days on the practice will set me up right and I'll have to be better - if I'm not I'm going to lose again."
Unibet Premier League
Night One - February 1
3Arena Dublin
Mensur Suljovic v Simon Whitlock
Gary Anderson v Michael Smith
Daryl Gurney v Raymond van Barneveld
Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross
Peter Wright v Gerwyn Price