David Davies recalls triumphing over Luke Littler on the Isle of Man when The Nuke was merely 13 years old. The reigning world champion swiftly equalised the tally when he returned two years later, but Davies reckons he already has the edge for their Ally Pally showdown thanks to his cracking Oasis entrance tune. The Welshman has been forced to use his annual leave from his NHS area manager role in Denbigh to take on Littler, having secured his World Darts Championship spot through a qualifying tournament last month.

Davies, 40, now confronts the most significant match of his career, yet remains unfazed by his previous achievements and his Cigarettes and Alcohol entrance. He said: “I spent hours looking at intros to songs that would get the crowd going and Cigarettes and Alcohol got me fired up. People say Luke Littler’s opponents are already a set down in their own minds when they hear him walking on stage to Greenlight, but I think my walk-on song is better than his so I’m already 1-0 up.

“But I’m not thinking too much about who I’m playing. I know I’m better than how I played in the first round, but Luke is a different kettle of fish, isn’t he?

“He’s a different breed. He’s blown the sport into a different dimension. Every game’s going to be tough and I know I’m going to be the underdog in every game I play.

“Just to play on the Ally Pally stage is huge. To get the win in the first round is that little bit of cherry on the top. There’s no denying the excitement and thrill of playing Luke now, since he blew the sport open, but let’s see what happens.

“I don’t know about the enormity of the occasion because I’ve not been in this position before. At least not at the World Championship. I’ve beaten him once, at a tournament on the Isle of Man when he was 13 at the time. But he’s a better player now than he was then.

“And he did beat me at the same tournament two years later, so it’s 1-1 and at least I can say my record against Luke Littler is all-square, but he has been phenomenal since those days.”

Davies discovered the Littler clash was on the horizon whilst aboard a cruise ship and grinned: “I was away in Barbados at the time, trying to find a WiFi signal that didn’t cut out.

“I got a message to say I had drawn Mario Vandenboegaerde [in the first round], which was fine. Then, not long after, I got another message saying: Well you’re not going to win the title this year, are you?

“I replied: What do you mean? And he says: Well if you win your first round match, you are playing Littler next. I don’t know what I said. Probably just: Oh, thanks mate. Although he’s an ex-mate now!”

For Davies, it represents a remarkable journey from being amongst the spectators at the Palace.

He revealed: “I’ve been here as a fan, but as a player it’s a whole different dimension. In the back room it’s a different feeling knowing you’re going into battle. I’m trying to take it in my stride, not get excited and not overthink it.”

Considering the significance of his day job, finding balance proves straightforward.

“We are the wheels of the NHS all over North Wales, everything from picking up blood samples and organising medical supplies for discharging operations,” he explained.

“It’s a big responsibility. It’s the NHS at the end of the day. I joined because I want to provide for people.

“I’m not going to get ahead of myself and I still don’t know what I’m going to do next year. It’s about self-belief and how far you can go in the professional game, but the standard is ridiculous. People are losing with 100-plus averages.

“I don’t want to play the game to pay the rent or, more to the point, need to win to pay the rent. And I don’t want my wife to have to work more hours to support the kids. I’m doing this to help her slow down and enjoy life.”