SCOTT Mitchell has played down his tag of bookmakers’ favourite for the World Seniors Darts Championship, insisting: “All of these people are my idols as well.”

At the time of writing, the Dorset ace was priced, alongside 16-time world champion Phil Taylor, as a 5-1 shot to win the title with bookies William Hill, on his debut in the event.

Unseeded Mitchell, 52, gets his challenge underway at the Circus Tavern in Essex tonight, against Peter Manley.

Should Scotty Dog progress, he could then face number one seed and reigning champion Robert Thornton in round two.

But Mitchell, who was a late entrant to the event after being invited having dropped off the main PDC tour, is refusing to get carried away.

He told the Daily Echo: “Lots are tipping me to win it already, which is absolutely flabbergastingly lovely.

“But the reality is, Terry Jenkins and people like that are playing in it and I saw he hit a 100 average in the Modus league.

“There’s no easy games there and it’s a horrible cliché, but the guys are going on TV, they’re former champions and they’re not going on there to play badly and lose. They’re all putting the effort in and they’re picking their games up again.

“I’m just looking forward to being in that room with those people and renewing a few old rivalries and obviously making some more new friends.”

He added: “You’ve got to remember, all of these people are my idols as well. You’ve got to play them not feeling a little bit gaga about it. It can happen and I’m a little bit like that, some would say too respectful.

“That’s the way I was brought up and I don’t know any other way to be.

“There’s been people going ‘there’s one of the finalists already’ and ‘we’ve got our new winner’. There’s that pressure to deal with as well.

“It’s like being a Lakeside champion all over again and going back the following year. Everybody tips you to win it again.

“It’s how you deal with that pressure, how it comes on the night and because we’re all older now, we’re not playing so many legs.

“You haven’t got the distance of the game, you make a couple of mistakes and you could be out anyway because the format of the games are so much shorter.

“So it’s anybody’s game, but I think that’s what makes it interesting. That’s why BT Sport want it and that’s why people are going to watch it.”

Discussing his past record at Circus Tavern, Mitchell said: “I’ve played there twice and I haven’t won a game there yet, which might be something the bookies don’t know!

“Installing me as favourite quickly is quite a strange one.

“One was an exhibition, I lost to Terry Jenkins 7-6 there, the year I was world champion, 2015.

“The other time was 2019, I played the BDO World Masters there and I lost first round to Mike Warburton. So I haven’t actually won a game at the Circus Tavern yet.

“I really like the place, I used to go there as a fan and watch back in the day, early 2000s I would go and watch Phil and everybody.

“It’s a place I really like, it just hasn’t worked for me yet.

“Fingers crossed this time I can get my first win at Circus Tavern.”

The tournament is set to be broadcast live on BT Sport.