JOE Cullen is hoping he can reverse his poor record at the PDC World Darts Championship when he makes his 10th appearance on Friday.

The Wyke ace has only reached the second round at the worlds twice in the past, suffering whitewashes on both occasions - firstly to Adrian Lewis in 2017 and then last year at the hands of Brendan Dolan.

The 'Rockstar' will either play fellow Yorkshireman James Wilson or young German Nico Kurz once the pair conclude their first round tie on Wednesday evening (being in the top 32 means Cullen has a bye, with the early stage being revised last year).

Cullen is confident that he can come through the victor, no matter who he plays, and wants to change his recent fortunes in the sport's pinnacle tournament at Alexandra Palace in London.

He said: "I believe every year can be mine, it has just not panned out the way I wanted it to. I hope this year it will all change.

"The preparation has been good every time. I have just got down there and it has just not happened.

"I have let it get to me in the past but I now I am over it. I have been a professional long enough now.

"I can't play that bad constantly, my luck is going to change at some point.

"I am not reading too much into it, it is all about on the day, playing one game at a time.

"The good thing is I have only ever been nervous twice, not really being as confident as I usually am, which is my first time and my fifth time there.

"I have done well in pretty much all the other TV events but it has just not happened at the worlds."

Despite admitting the 2019 season has been up and down, Cullen added to his other two non-ranking titles - both in the Player Championships of 2017 - by winning his first European Tour title back in September.

Not only that - it came thanks to beating world number one Michael Van Gerwen 8-5 in the final in Mannheim, Germany.

But consistency can be the hardest trait to find in any sport, and the 30-year-old has found that in darts when it comes to the biggest competitions, with quarter-final appearances in the UK Open and the World Matchplay in 2016 and 2018 being the furthest level he has reached in the televised arena.

Although the world number 15 was pleased with his European crown, the victory provided more relief than excitement after years of near misses.

On the 2019 season, he said: "It has not been the best if I am honest. It's been up and down.

"I won my first big mini-title, winning the European and beating Van Gerwen in the final, so that made up for the inconsistency of the first half of the year.

"It was just a relief after it had been a long time coming.

"I have faltered at the semis a few times but I have been quite consistent at the Euros.

"I have beaten him a few times earlier in both of our careers.

"He is a triple world champion so to beat him in a final, it was very special."

Regarding who his opponent might be in the second round, Cullen said: "James Wilson is a quality player, I speak to James quite a lot, he has had his struggles with injuries.

"Nico (Kurz), I haven’t heard much of him. He’s not been on the tour long but he beat Gary Anderson in one of the world series so he can play.

"I think it will be a tight game between the two."