Michael van Gerwen has revealed that his failure to defend his world title has enabled him to recover from a long 12 months on the PDC Tour.
After winning the PDC World Championship at the start of 2014, the world number one was required to fulfil media and promotional obligations throughout the year as well as attempting to retain his status at the top of the rankings.
Van Gerwen fell short at Alexandra Palace over Christmas, but after enjoying an extended break before winning last week's Masters event, the Dutchman has admitted that he feels refreshed ahead of the new season.
The 25-year-old is quoted by the Daily Record as saying: "I was disappointed at the Worlds because I had the chances to beat Gary Anderson but that's why I went on holiday because you need a break.
"Gary enjoyed the World Championship win but you could see at The Masters that he was tired because he did a lot of work in between.
"I'm fresh, I'm only 25 and can be on the circuit for a long time. You don't get any presents in the PDC, you have to work hard and I'm going to fight for it."
Van Gerwen will play debutant Kim Huybrechts when the Premier League gets underway in Leeds on Thursday night.
Darren Plant
