Jonny Clayton heads into next Monday's Premier League Darts as the player to beat after finishing top of the league table and beginning the defence of his title in style.
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Clayton spoke before the final Newcastle night and has his sights firmly set on retaining.
"It feels brilliant to be part of the elite club of the Premier League. After winning last year, obviously it was a fantastic feeling. I was quite nervous coming to try and defend my title but it's a good start being top of the top four so hopefully I can go on and win it," he said on the Darts Show.
He also spoke about how last year differed and now he is the man to beat as opposed to the spoiler in the field.
"Last year I was definitely an underdog. I scraped in (to the field) and I scraped in to the last four on the last night so obviously it's totally different because this time I know I'm in the top four and I've got chasers behind me trying to stop me getting a second title."
He also discussed wanting to restart the Year of the Ferret with this title as well as potential criticism about winning his titles mostly behind closed doors.
"Last year was the year of the Ferret where I picked a couple of trophies up, this year has been a little bit different but hopefully this is one I can start off with.
"To win a trophy in front of a crowd or behind closed doors, you're a major winner and that's all that counts."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
Life at the top ☝️
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