Who are NI's World Darts Championship hopefuls?

Christmas trees are going up, the days are getting shorter and festivities are almost in full swing.

It can only mean one thing - the darts is back.

The PDC World Darts Championship begins at the iconic Alexandra Palace on Thursday.

Luke Littler is the man they all have to beat, but who are the four players from Northern Ireland who will try and take the crown off the world number one and reigning champion?

World ranking: 11 First match: Gemma Hayter (Afternoon session - Friday, 19 December) Best World Championship finish: Last-16 (2023)

Ever since he burst onto the scene when he won the World Youth Championship in 2022, Josh Rock has been tipped as a player to win some of the biggest events in darts.

The 24-year-old made his World Championship debut in 2023 and reached the fourth round, but was shocked by qualifier Berry van Peer in his opening match in 2024 and he faced a third-round exit at the hands of Chris Dobey last year.

While Rock has not managed as many individual titles in 2025 as he did in 2024 - when he won his first European title at the Dutch Masters and two Players Championship Series titles - he did win the World Cup of Darts in June alongside Daryl Gurney for Northern Ireland after a dramatic final with Wales.

The Broughshane player also reached the semi-finals of the World Matchplay, World Series Finals and UK Open, so the potential is there.

He heads into the 2025 World Championship as the 11th seed, and faces debutant Gemma Hayter in the opening round.

Drawn in the fourth quarter, Rock has a tricky path that could see him face Niko Springer in the second round, and then either Gurney, highly-rated Beau Greaves or Callan Rydz if he can make it to the third round.

Former world champions Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright are all in the same bracket, as is in-form Dutch player Danny Noppert - one of the dark horses for the tournament.

It's a tricky draw, but is it finally his time to take it to Littler and Luke Humphreys?

World ranking: 22 First match: Beau Greaves (Evening session - Friday, 19 December) Best World Championship finish: Quarter-final (2017, 2021)

Daryl Gurney is a two-time quarter-finalist at the World Championship, but hasn't been able to hit the same heights since he last reached the last eight in 2021.

The 38-year-old has an incredibly difficult first-round tie against the exciting Beau Greaves, who will make her debut at the PDC World Championship.

After that, the path through the rest of the tournament is similar to Rock, with several big names to watch out for in the bottom quarter of the draw.

Along with Rock, the highlight of Gurney's year was winning the World Cup of Darts, which for Gurney came at the ninth time of asking.

Despite falling outside the top-20, 'Superchin' reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship and Players Championship finals, and the semi-finals of the Flanders Darts Trophy in Belgium in August.

He lost in the third round to Johnny Clayton in last year's World Championship.

World ranking: 39 First match: Tavis Dudeney (afternoon session - Monday, 15 December) Best World Championship finish: Quarter-final (2019, 2024)

Brendan Dolan reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship as recently as 2024, when he lost to a 16-year-old Littler who had burst onto the scene.

However, his form has tailed off since, and he was beaten in the third round of last year's tournament by Michael van Gerwen.

He reached the final of the Players Championship round in Hildesheim in May but was convincingly beaten by Ross Smith.

Dolan will start his 2025 World Championship against England's Tavis Dudeney on Monday, and if he can win that then Ryan Searle is a possible second-round opponent.

If he wants to go deep into the tournament then he will have to battle past the likes of Michael Smith, Johnny Clayton and number four seed Stephen Bunting, who are all in his quarter.

However, he defeated Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson on his way to the last eight two years ago, so does have the game to beat the best on his day.

World ranking: 45 First match: Leonard Gates (afternoon session - Friday, 19 December) Best World Championship finish: Last-64 (2013, 2015, 2021, 2023, 2024)

Mickey Mansell will make his 10th appearance at the World Darts Championship, but has never progressed past the second round at the Ally Pally.

The 52-year-old will face Leonard Gates of the USA in the opening round after being drawn in the third quarter.

If Mansell can negotiate that round, he would either play Nathan Aspinall, one of the favourites for the tournament, or Lourence Ilagan in the second round.

Last year, the Dungannon player reached the semi-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts but was knocked out of the World Championship by Wales' Clayton in the second round.

Mansell has struggled to hit top form in 2025 with early exits from a number of tournaments, but he did reach the quarter-finals of two Players Championship events.