Michael Smith wants to "take over the sport" after becoming world champion for the first time with a stunning 7-4 victory over Michael van Gerwen in an epic final on Tuesday.

Smith is a two-time runner-up at Alexandra Palace, having been beaten in the 2019 and 2022 finals by Van Gerwen and Peter Wright respectively, but he finally got over the line with a stunning display in which he hit a nine-dart finish - only the second time that has been done in a PDC World Championship final.

After Van Gerwen won the opening set, they took a leg each in the second before an extraordinary third leg, with the Dutchman missing double 12 for a nine-dart finish, only for Smith to step up to the oche and take out 141 for the nine-darter himself and send the crowd into ecstasy.

The match continued to be a topsy-turvy affair, with Van Gerwen looking to have seized control by taking a three sets to one lead, only for Smith to roar back and win four sets on the spin to open up a 6-3 advantage.

Van Gerwen pulled it back to 6-4, but Smith sunk in double-eight with the 11th set tied at two apiece to win the title, as well as become world number one.

Asked how being described as a world champion sounded, Smith told Sky Sports: "[It] sounds amazing. I don't want to start getting into the crying and emotions.

"Michael let me off there, and for once I finally took a chance I didn't deserve. I want to apologise to Michael, I've been in that position.

"It's 1-1 now in the worlds. I took my chances, but he knows and I do that it won't be the last world final between us. He is the best player in darts, I've said it for years, and you have to take your chances and I finally did that.

"I want to do what this man has [Van Gerwen] done, I want to take over the sport."

Smith says the crowd spurred him on to hit the incredible nine-dart finish, explaining: "I didn't hit a nine-darter in practice today but I keep going 180, 180, miss, so I thought, 'Do one now, give the crowd what they deserve.'

Van Gerwen was humble in defeat after missing out on the opportunity to become a four-time world champion, stating: "He played really well. I had my chances, we all know that.

"When you don't hit them, he'll throw everything at you. You can only blame yourself, but it doesn’t take anything away [from Smith] because he played brilliantly all the way through.

"I wasn't what I wanted to be, but that’s part of the game and you have to take it on the chin.

"It's part of the job unfortunately. When we celebrate it's a nice job, and when we lose games it's hard. We all know that."

Peter Wright captured his second PDC World Championship title after a 7-5 victory over Michael Smith in the final at Alexandra Palace.

The Scotsman claimed the top prize of £500,000 as he became the sixth multiple winner of darts' blue-riband event after Phil Taylor, John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen.

It was his fourth title of the season, having already won the World Matchplay, Players Championship Finals and World Cup of Darts.

Wright, who also lifted the Sid Waddell trophy in 2020, was appearing in his third world final having hit 24 180s during his 6-4 win over compatriot Anderson in the semi-finals.

The 51-year-old took a 2-0 lead but 2019 runner-up Smith – who hit a record 83 maximums during the tournament – won five of the next seven sets to move two away from victory at 5-4 up.

However, Wright was not to be denied. The world number two, who also captured the World Matchplay title in July, averaged 113.93 during the next three sets as he won nine of the next 10 legs, before securing the crown on double 16.