Date of birth: 13/08/60
Home town: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

Quite simply, the man they call 'The Power' is the greatest player the game has ever known.

A 13-time world champion, Taylor has dominated this PDC event since its inception, winning it 11 of the 13 times it has been staged to add to the two titles he had claimed before the game split into its two rival factions in 1992.

This year a new challenge arrived in the form of former BDO champion Raymond van Barneveld and the Dutchman beat Taylor at both the UK Open and Las Vegas Desert Classic.

However, Taylor responded like a champion by hitting back to win the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix, while he was also the unbeaten winner of the Premier League.

Recently sixth in the voting for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, he will start as the hot favourite to win at the Circus Tavern once again.