King, 40, reached the semi-finals of the recent Lakeside Championship, and has twice lost in the final at Frimley Green, to Tony David in 2002 and Andy Fordham two years later.

He won the 2004 World Masters Final against Tony O'Shea, and repeated that victory in the following year's International Darts League.

Great Yarmouth-based King has picked up other titles at the 1997 Dutch Open and 2005 Dutch Grand Masters, and is hoping to add further honours on the £3m (€4.5m) PDC circuit.

"It's a new challenge for me," said King. "It's a frightening prospect but an exciting prospect at the same time.

"I'm looking to further my career and have noticed for a couple of years the strength in depth of the PDC.

"I want to be a part of that and move forward with it in the coming years."

King will compete alongside Phil Taylor, Colin Lloyd, Wayne Mardle and Peter Manley in the England team for the Masters of Darts tournament next week.

He is expected to make his debut on the PDC Pro Tour in the Blue Square UK Open South-East Regional Final in London at the start of March.

"We're delighted to welcome Mervyn into the PDC ranks," said Professional Darts Corporation Chairman Barry Hearn.

"He is a quality player capable of winning major tournaments, and he has proved by joining the PDC that he has the ambition and desire to compete against the best players in the world on the game's biggest stages."