Jose De Sousa is the first Portuguese player to win a PDC event, after winning Players Championship 23 in Barnsley today.

The world number 79, who reached the final of Players Championship 18 in July, won a tour card for the first time through European Q-School in January.

The Lisbon-born thrower, 45, lost out to James Wade 8-5 on that occasion, but went one better today, breezing past world number seven Gerwyn Price 8-1 in the final to claim the £10,000 title at the Barnsley Metrodome.

“This is a dream for me, I am so, so happy,” De Sousa said after beating Price in the decider.

“I have fought for 25 years to come here and at last I can do this. It’s amazing for me to play against the best players in the world and prove I can play just like them.

“This is an incentive for me to continue my work and I think I can beat everybody if I continue to play this way.”

De Sousa, who made his PDC World Championship debut back in 2012, made his return to Alexandra Palace in December last year, after winning through the South and West Europe Qualifier. He was beaten 3-2 by Michael Barnard in the first round.

De Sousa’s route to his maiden PDC title today began with a 102 average in a 6-4 win over Nathan Rafferty, before victories against Steve Beaton, Ryan Meikle and John Henderson sent the Portuguese number one into the quarter-finals.

A 6-5 win over Jermaine Wattimena, followed by a convincing 7-3 victory against Peter Wright, took De Sousa into his second PDC final, where he averaged 95, to Price’s 84, and won 8-1 to land his first title.

PDC Players Championship 23
Last 16
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Luke Humphries
Peter Wright 6-5 Danny Noppert
Jose De Sousa 6-4 John Henderson
Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 Josh Payne
Martin Schindler 6-5 Ian White
Adrian Lewis 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Glen Durrant 6-5 Max Hopp
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Rob Cross

Quarter-Finals
Peter Wright 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Jose De Sousa 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Martin Schindler
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Glen Durrant

Semi-Finals
Jose De Sousa 7-3 Peter Wright
Gerwyn Price 7-4 Adrian Lewis

Final
Jose De Sousa 8-1 Gerwyn Price

Picture: PDC