Luke Humphries shows his class with message to transgender darts star Noa-Lynn van Leuven

Noa-Lynn van Leuven will become the first transgender competitor to face a male opponent at a darts major on Saturday, facing three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen in Wolverhampton

Luke Humphries says Noa-Lynn van Leuven will relish her baptism at the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts and pleaded: “Just let her get on with it and play.”

Nineteen years after Deta Hedman became the first woman to beat a male opponent on TV, Van Leuven breaks a new glass ceiling as the first transgender competitor to take on the men at darts major in Wolverhampton. In an intriguing all-Dutch contest at VW Active Aldersley on Saturday, Van Leuven faces three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen in a group also containing Gary Anderson and Ryan Joyce.

And world No.1 Humphries warned she is not to be taken lightly at a 32-player tournament worth £150,000 to the winner. Humphries, who begins his defence of the Grand Slam crown with a tricky opener against Austrian World Cup runner-up Rowby-John Rodriguez, said: “I think she will enjoy - that group is a great challenge for her. She will enjoy the chance to play two of the greatest players that have ever been, Michael and Gary.

"I don’t know Noa-Lynn very well, to be honest - I’ve only met her once before at the Women’s World Matchplay, on the day I was in the final. But she has been doing great, playing well, so I wish her all the best.”

Hedman caused a stir by forfeiting her Denmark Open quarter-final against Van Leuven six months ago, admitting she “struggled with transgenders playing in women's world-ranked events.”

There is no such bar on Van Leuven at the Grand Slam, where men and women compete on level terms for the £650,000 prize money, and Humphries said: “I don’t get too involved in the politics - it’s not up to me to say whether it is right or wrong. Whatever opinion I have, it wouldn’t matter. I just look at her as a darts player.

“She is in the competition on merit, she has not broken any rules, she is doing what she is allowed to do. It’s a hard one, because there are so many different opinions that get thrown around. It would be nice if people let her get on with it and play. But I wish her all the best - hopefully she gets a win and it’s food for her.”

Humphries is relishing the next two months - he mopped up at the Grand Slam, Players Championship finals and the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace last year - and he said: “This is the best time of year for me. I cannot believe it has come round so quickly already.

“It’s quite incredible how fast it goes, but it has been a great ride regardless of what happens over the next couple of months. I have enjoyed myself and I have done myself justice as world champion - only winning one major this year (the World Matchplay in July) is not the worst thing in the world.

“But now that I have won one world title, I want to win more. If I can do that, I would join some legends of the sport - the likes of Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson and Adrian Lewis - who have won back-to-back titles.”

Luke Littler, 17, begins his maiden Grand Slam campaign tonight against Keane Barry.