The Iceman cometh - Gerwyn Price back at his ‘home from home’ in Wolverhampton

The 37-year-old Welshman has won all three Grand Slam events staged at the venue – in 2018, 2019 and last year.

In fact ‘The Iceman’ has only ever lost two games in the group stages during that time, and one of those was in 2020 at Coventry when the event was staged behind closed doors.

Price is in a good place after a difficult start to the year and looking forward to the tournament which begins at Aldersley today with a Group A game against Ted Evetts, before then taking on Dave Chisnall and Raymond van Barneveld.

Full of confidence, Price said he looks forward to the latter part of the season when the schedule calms down – particularly this year when in the early part of the season he suffered a major injury that saw him play a large part of the Premier League campaign with a fractured hand.

Amazingly, he had to wear a splint when not playing darts, which he removed for the games. He also had to pull out of a charity boxing event, which proved beyond even his capabilities.

He has still managed to maintain his world number one status at three separate points this year with a win in the World Series and a runner-up spot in the World Matchplay – and goes into the Grand Slam in good form, having just won a pro tour ranking tournament in recent weeks.

So is it a season of two halves for him?

He said: “You probably could say that in many ways – I was playing the best part of three or four months with a broken hand, it knocked my confidence.

“I couldn’t win a game, couldn’t hit a double and I couldn’t average over 90, my back was against the wall and I was struggling particularly after the UK Open. But it gradually got better to the point now where I am in a good place physically.”

Price has set the darts world on fire since his debut in 2014, winning his first tour title two years later and being runner-up at the UK Open in 2017.

He won the World Championship in 2021 and also has two World Series Finals wins – not bad for a former rugby union and rugby league professional.

But it is in Wolverhampton where he has really excelled consistently, and he says the venue is a ‘home from home’ for him.

He said: “I have great memories of the competition obviously having won it three times, but I think I have only lost two games at the group stage and that was after I had already qualified for the knockouts.

“The tournament falls at a good time of year for me in November, certainly this year when it has been eventful and a bit up and down with the injury.

“I have been picking and choosing my tournaments recently, turning out for the ones I need to keep my ranking points current and even managed to win one so that was good.

“At the start of the year it is hectic, with the World Championship which is obviously massive, but it is quickly followed up by endless ranking tournaments – not that I’m complaining, but it is difficult to get a rest where around now as I said I can be more choosy but the Grand Slam is special.

“I quite like the mixed format, the round robin allows you a lifeline if you like if you lose a game you can still qualify.

“I think I have lost two games the whole time I have competed so it does give you a bit of confidence going into it looking at the record books.

“It’s going to be a tough group with Chissy and Ted and Raymond, who is always dangerous, but I feel I am in a good place to deal with it now.

“I never think I am invincible but I am a confident person, I know if I am on my A-game I am very hard to beat.

“This is a good tournament for me and I am looking forward to it after winning on the Pro Tour, which has filled me with confidence and I already had that anyway with the Grand Slam as I am a triple winners I am looking forward to it.”

Price says he will be hoping to fire on all cylinders next year and is hoping for some good result s in the lead-up to it.

He said: “I have missed quite a few tournaments this year, ranking and pro tour, I wasn’t sure how the online ranking points worked till earlier this year when I had the injury – but I hope for a clear run in 2023 and to get some good results before then to maintain my number one ranking, starting hopefully at Aldersley, which has been described as my home from home and I can’t really argue with that to be honest.”