Rookie Rob ‘the Voltage’ plots a shock in final

THERE is one man standing in the way of Phil Taylor’s dream end to his career – rookie professional Rob Cross.

And he has his own story worthy of Hollywood after beating the bookies’ odds to make it to his first World Championship final, just 11 months after becoming a full-time player.

Until January last year, the 27-year-old from Pembury, Kent, was working as an electrician by day – a job

that earned him his darts nickname “Voltage”. His initial aim was to get “top 64” – but he now has a real chance of ending up No1.

Rob, who now lives in Hastings, East Sussex, with wife Georgia and children Leyton, Imogen and Maddison, was just 11 when he scored his first 180 and won his first competition – for under 15s.

He cannot believe how well things have gone in the past year. He says: “To progress at the rate I have, to feel as comfortable as I am starting to feel – I have to pinch myself.” While it’s hard being away from home, he is doing it with his children in mind.

He says: “Winning helps. I can treat the kids and hopefully provide a better life for them. That is the ambition.”

His favourite player of all time is, of course, Phil “The Power” Taylor. But that won’t stop Rob from pulling out all the stops to beat his hero and scoop his first world title.

Whatever happens tonight, this is only the beginning of Rob’s journey – he says he won’t stop until he becomes World No1.

Rob, right, made it to the final after beating defending champion Michael van Gerwen in the semi 6-5. The match was so tense it reached number two on Twitter’s trending charts, with celebs including Martine McCutcheon and Olly Murs posting about it. Ironically, it was Van Gerwen who knocked him out of the UK Open Finals in 2016, one of Rob’s last tournaments as an amateur. Since turning pro, Rob, who walks on to Arrow’s Hot Hot Hot, has earned £211,250. And he could almost triple that tonight if he beats Taylor as the prize is a whopping £400,000.

Just like Phil beat his hero Eric Bristow, Rob now faces his own idol.

“It was watching Phil Taylor on TV that really made me want to play,” he has said.