Raymond van Barneveld is without doubt one the greatest and most popular players in the history of darts.

The Dutch giant won an impressive five world titles (four in the BDO, one in the PDC) as well as the UK Open (twice), the Grand Slam and the Premier League. He also hit a host of televised nine-dart finishes

There are so many memorable Barney moments that it would be impossible to list them all. But, to mark the great man's 55th birthday, we have picked out our favourite five, from his battles with Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen to his historic nine-darters. Add your own favourite Barney memories in the comments section below…

There was huge anticipation after Barney moved to the PDC ranks as a four-time world champion and the BDO’s biggest asset. But there were question marks over whether he had the quality to mix it with the dominant Phil Taylor on a regular basis.

However, those doubts were crushed in only the fifth week of his debut season with the first-ever nine-darter in the Premier League against Peter Manley in 2006. It was a stunning way to announce his arrival in the PDC.

Michael van Gerwen went into the 2016 World Championships as the red-hot favourite to claim his second title, having won the previous four major tournaments.

It didn’t look as though even Van Barneveld could stop him as the pair met in the last 16. It was a real case of darts’ past against darts’ future. But fired up by a raucous Ally Pally crowd, Barney, the 16th seed, produced one of the greatest performances of his career. The old master rolled back the years to win 4-3 in a match regarded as one of the best ever on the famous stage.

In the 2009 World Championship quarter-final, Barney took on compatriot Jelle Klaasen, who had defeated him in the 2006 BDO World Championship final. Van Barneveld hadn’t beaten Klaasen in a televised event, but that all changed in a supreme performance at the Alexandra Palace.

Klaasen took the opening set but that was as good as it got for the youngster, who was dismantled 5-1. Not only that, Barney made more darting history by becoming the first player to hit a nine-dart finish in a PDC World Championships match. Despite the bedlam around him as fans celebrated the iconic moment, he maintained his steely focus to clinch the match with a 161 finish on the bullseye. It was Barney at his absolute best.

What's your favourite Van Barneveld moment? Tell us in the comments section below

We couldn’t overlook this, surely the greatest moment in Van Barneveld’s storied career. He was seeded 32nd for his PDC World Championship debut and survived match-darts against Colin Lloyd in round two before reaching the final to face his old rival Taylor.

What followed on that famous Sunday evening at the Circus Tavern has gone into the annals of darting history. Taylor led 3-0 and was on course to secure another world title, but Van Barneveld launched a jaw-dropping comeback, hitting an incredible 21 180s before prevailing in an epic sudden-death leg. It was his fifth and greatest world title triumph.

Barney reached his first BDO world final in 1995, but lost to Welshman Richie Burnett. He then suffered frustrating second-round exits in the next two editions of the tournament.

But he returned to the final in 1998, facing Burnett again in what was regarded as a true grudge match. This time, the Dutchman prevailed, winning an absolute thriller 6-5. It was the true start of the Barney era.

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