I’m a former darts world champion – I’m moving house to give me best chance to beat Luke Littler in Premier League

DARTS star Rob Cross is MOVING HOUSE to give himself a better chance of winning the Premier League.

The 2018 world champion, 33, is yet to claim the Premier League crown and has not qualified for the competition since 2021.

Rob Cross, right, was beaten by Luke Littler, left, in the world championship semi-finalsPA

But he is returning to the event in Cardiff on Thursday as he bids to go one step further than his runners-up finish in 2019.

He is also looking to bounce back from a semi-final defeat by teenage sensation Luke Littler, 17, at the PDC World Darts Championship.

And he has taken extreme measures to ensure he is on top form for the 17-week tournament.

Cross has revealed he is moving from Hastings to Lincolnshire in order to shorten his commute time – which currently sees him travel nearly 300 miles for many of the Pro Tour events in Wigan.

Speaking to The Star, he said: “I’m only going to Lincolnshire but obviously with the Premier League and everything being hours away, cut the travelling down and stuff and just try and make things a little bit easier.

“I live in Hastings so Wigan [where plenty of Pro Tour events are held] is 288 miles for me. It’s a bit of a nightmare.

“But I’m moving in the middle of February, I’ve got a driver up there with my management.

“I usually do all my own driving so it will just a take a bit more stress off.”

Cross will kick off his Premier League campaign against two-time world champion Peter Wright in the Welsh capital.

He then follows that up with a clash against Littler in Berlin on February 8.

World championship runner-up Littler will head into his debut season in the Premier League as one of the favourites to claim the title.

His fairytale run to the world final ended in a defeat by Luke Humphries – who is also appearing in the Premier League.

But Littler put that disappointment to bed by claiming the Bahrain Masters, before he reached the final of the Dutch Masters, only to come up short against Michael van Gerwen.