Price needed 12 match darts to secure the victory but eventually triumphed 7-3 over Anderson, a two-time winner of the event, at Alexandra Palace in London.

A dramatic contest saw former professional rugby player Price pinch the first set of the evening in a deciding leg after Anderson had blown four darts at a double to take the set.

Anderson levelled up before successive 12 and 13 dart legs helped the Welshman take a 2-1 lead.

Price pushed on and took out tops to go 3-1 up.

The Welshman was looking at home on the big stage and won set five after taking out tops to extend his advantage to 4-1.

He then produced arguably one of the greatest sets in World Championship history as he took out 100 for an 11-dart leg, 161 for a 12-darter and double 12 to go out in ten darts, after initially missing it for a nine-darter - recording a set average of 136.64 as he went 5-1 in front.

Price showed the first signs of nerves in set seven as he missed multiple chances to take the set and was punished, with Anderson taking out double 20 in a deciding leg to reduce the arrears to 5-2.

An increasingly tense encounter saw the eighth set also go the distance, before Price hit tops for the 14th time in the match to go 6-2 up and a set away from the title.

Price then opened up a two leg lead in set nine before the nerves started to kick in.

Anderson clawed his way back and eventually took the set on a deciding leg after Price had missed nine match darts.

The momentum was turning towards Anderson and the Scot, who won this title in 2015 and 2016, piled the pressure on by going 2-0 up in the tenth set.

Price battled back and forced a deciding leg but missed two more match darts at double ten to take the total number of chances spurned to win the match to 11.

Anderson then missed chances to claw another set back allowing a relieved Price to take out double five and seal a 7-3 win.

Price averaged over 100 during what proved to be a fairytale victory, as he became the first PDC champion to lift the trophy after being a product of qualifying school.

He also became world number one, taking the crown from Michael Van Gerwen of the Netherlands, a man whose spell at the top of the world rankings started in 2014, two weeks before Price earned his professional tour card.

Reflecting on his victory Price said: "This means everything to me.

"I bombed numerous opportunities to win it towards the end but I knew that I had put myself in such a good position that I would have another chance.

"I've never felt pressure like that in my life.

"It was so tough to hit that winning double but the feeling after doing it is so difficult to explain.

"I'm proud to be world number one too.

"It's probably even tougher to achieve that than it is to become world champion. To manage both is incredible for me."