Kettering darts player 'Rapid' Ricky Evans Panini sticker star as trading cards launched ahead of PDC World Darts Championship

Darts player 'Rapid' Ricky Evans will feature on Panini sticker and trading cards launched ahead of the PDC World Darts Championship taking place at the Ally Pally – Alexandra Palace.

Prized by collectors across the generations, the first-ever PDC Trading Card collection features current stars and historic legends.

Ricky said: “It’s cool knowing that a game/sport like darts has got to this stage and fans will be collecting stickers and ‘shinys’ of me.

“I used to collect Premier League and World Cup sticker books religiously as a boy. Me and my mates would trade.”

He added: “I’ll have too ask my parents for some pocket money and whip round to the newsagents and get some!”

Katie Gritt, head of marketing for sport at Panini, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to launch our first PDC Darts Collection, just in time for the iconic PDC World Darts Championship at Ally Pally.

“Darts has a huge fanbase that’s growing all the time, and we know there is a lot of excitement for this launch, as well as for what comes next for Panini x PDC Collectibles.

“We can’t wait to see fans response to the first launch and promise there is lots of exciting things to follow for darts fans to enjoy.”

The limited edition collection will be available goes on sale officially tomorrow (Thursday, December 12) ahead of the PDC World Darts Championship. Collectors will need to be quick, as the limited edition stock is expected sell quickly.

Championing the best on the global darts circuit, the PDC collection will feature more than 220 cards in total, made up of base, insert and autograph cards in a variety of categories.

There are a total of 60 Base Cards for fans to collect, including World Champions Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Gerwyn Price and Peter Wright.

Collectors will also be keen to get their hands on the rarer ‘parallel’ cards which differ in colour scheme, foiling and optical finishes – including a ‘cracked ice’ design.

Insert cards focus on specific players, moments or highlights from the previous 31 PDC World Darts Championships. The full range of Trading Card categories includes World Champions, 9-Dart-Club, Scoring Machine, Legends of the Game, Next Generation, All Around the PDC and Bullseye themes.

A highlight for fans and collectors is the rare and premium autograph cards which feature real signatures of the darts players – each card is limited and serially numbered.

Fans will be able to choose between the premium box or collectors box to kick-start their trading card collections, both of which come with 10 packs of trading cards in varying categories.

Trading Card accessories are also available to keep the cards in mint-condition including card sleeves, top loaders, magholders and collection folders for maximum protection and optimal collection clarity.

PDC chief executive Matt Porter added: “There was huge excitement when we first announced our partnership with Panini in August, and darts fans can now get ready to secure their PDC Trading Card collection. This is a brilliant opportunity for fans to collect a unique piece of history as we celebrate the past and present stars of the PDC World Darts Championship.”