LUKE HUMPHRIES won’t predict a riot but he reckons his Leeds homecoming will be one of the most emotional nights of his life.
The world champion will play in a special Leeds-style shirt for his first-ever Premier League match at the First Direct Arena on Thursday.
Humphries, 29, was named Luke (Leeds United Kings of Europe) by his dad and will have his family and Elland Road stars all supporting him as he seeks to return to the top of the table.
He takes on Rob Cross in the quarter-final and revealed: “I’ve got a new shirt and it’s Leeds inspired and just for Thursday night.
“It will be the most special Premier League night yet for me. I’ve been looking forward to this one more than any of them.
“It would also be a very special feeling to win. The pressure is off me now having qualified for the O2. I will look forward to enjoying it but really hungry to win as well.
“My mum, dad, brother and girlfriend will all be there. Especially for my dad and brother it will be special because they are Leeds fans as well.
“It’s going to be good to see the reception I get in Leeds. I’m sure it will be emotional.
“If I win it will be right up there with my first major win and obviously winning the Worlds. It won’t be as good but it will be up there.
“I just know the feeling of winning in a city so close to my heart would be incredible. It would mean a lot.
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“But regardless of the result, I’m just looking forward to performing in Leeds.”
There is a widespread rumour that ‘Cool Hand’ will also change his walk-on tune to Leeds anthem ‘I Predict A Riot’ by the Kaiser Chiefs.
But he added: “I can’t confirm or deny!”
On whether it would be a goosebump moment to hear the crowd singing it at him he continued: “It would but I don’t want to give too much away. I want it to be a surprise for Thursday night.”
For Humphries and his beloved Leeds, it truly is all about the play-offs now.
The World No.1 is hoping for a dream 72 hours of him taking the Premier League title at the O2 on May 23 followed by Leeds getting promoted at the play-off final three days later.
He added: “If we can both get through the play-offs and I can win the Premier League and they can get promoted to the Premier League, it would be the perfect double in my eyes.
“That’s the dream over the next couple of weeks. I’ve got a lot of people coming to support me.
“Most of the backroom staff at Leeds United, a few of the players are on my guest list.
“They don’t need the tickets but it’s nice for me to have them on my table.
“Leeds are good to me. They give me tickets whenever I want to go to Elland Road, there’s definitely no problem returning the favour.”
Leicester and Ipswich fans have taunted Leeds for wobbling in the race for automatic promotion.
But Humphries dismissed that, adding: “I don’t think they bottled it to be honest. It’s just a really tough league.
“I can’t remember the stats but 90 points would have got automatic promotion in some years.
The boys did really well and now they’ve got a second bite at the cherry.
“If they can perform how they did at the start of this year, they should be going back up. It’s one of the toughest leagues in the world.
“Southampton could have gone up as well. Four teams could easily have got automatic promotion and it shows how well they all played. Ipswich deserve it, they’ve done fantastic.”
Rather like the Championship promotion race, the Premier League season has seen red-hot form in stages for Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler.
Humphries has dipped recently but added: “I’m not worried. When you are playing every week you will have patches of form which come and go. You won’t be brilliant the whole time.
“Michael had his good patch at the start, I had mine in the middle and then Luke had his form at the back end. That’s what can happen.
“Luke and I have done enough to get through and that’s what is important. You’ve got to peak at the right time. If I was on form now and fell away for the O2, that wouldn’t be good.
“I know if I can find my peak again I can be a force to go on and win the Premier League.”
First Direct Arena, Leeds, Order of play:
- Quarter-Finals: Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price, Luke Littler v Peter Wright, Luke Humphries v Rob Cross, Nathan Aspinall v Michael Smith.
- TV Channel: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)