"Darts needs Luke Littler – Luke Littler doesn't need darts": Luke Humphries sends message amid Littler show of emotion after Premier League final

The 2026 Premier League Darts produced a final on Thursday night that will be remembered for years to come. In a match of exceptional quality, reigning world champion Luke Littler eventually edged out defending champion Luke Humphries 11–10.

Despite the defeat, Humphries left the stage with his head held high. Not only because of his own performance, but also because of the spectacle both players provided for the thousands of fans in attendance. It was a final worthy of the highest praise.

Immediately afterwards, pride was the overriding emotion for Humphries. Of course, there was disappointment at failing to retain his title, but the world number one also realised he had taken part in one of the best finals of recent years.

"It was a great game and I pushed him all the way there. I say it in all my interviews – there's no one else in the world of darts who can push him like I can," said Humphries post final at The O2.

"It's just unfortunate that a couple of darts cost me. That kick into the treble one was crucial. If that had stayed in the treble 20, I'd have had darts. It's disappointing because I had the opportunity to really kick on and I didn't. But someone said he averaged over 110, so you can't complain too much when someone plays like that."

The fact that Humphries even reached the play-offs was far from guaranteed a few months ago. Midway through the Premier League season he endured a difficult spell and was languishing as low as seventh in the table.

Yet he fought his way back and ultimately secured a place in the final four. That made reaching the final feel like an extra reward. "Considering the way the season started, after the first 10 weeks I was down in seventh, and then I managed to scrape my way into third in the end.

"Like I said to Paul Nicholson, once you get into the Play-Offs it's almost a free run because anything else is a bonus. A lot of people didn't expect me to be here, but I managed to get here and give myself a chance to retain the title.

"I'm proud of myself for having that opportunity and giving it a proper shot. I certainly gave it a good go – it just wasn't enough in the end."

Although the defeat hurt, Humphries saw plenty of positives for the remainder of the season. In recent weeks he has increasingly shown his best form, and in the final he produced numbers that would have won him a title on almost any other night.

"I'm always confident and always feel good. I always believe there's an opportunity for me to win major titles.

"I've probably been on the wrong end of too many major final losses now – I think that's five. But I don't think I've played badly against him. Sometimes Luke is just at that level where, when it's really important, he seems to shine.

"A couple of mistakes from him and he loses that match. It was tough because sometimes you feel like you're just sticking with him. But from the first break I knew I was in good form. Maybe it fell away a little bit towards the end, but I'm still proud of the performance overall."

The rivalry between Humphries and Littler is increasingly being compared to some of the great rivalries in sporting history. What stands out is the mutual respect between the two players.

After the final they shared a long embrace. Humphries said that moment summed up their relationship.

"Like I said on stage, I just gave him a cuddle and told him to take a bit of time. I'm always there for him if he needs it. Maybe it was emotional because we've been on the road for 16 or 17 weeks, and he's had a hard time since Manchester. It was probably a build-up of emotion.

"I think when the crowd got behind him at the end, he felt a bit of relief. Maybe he felt like people had moved past one mistake and were allowing him to rebuild.

"I love him to bits. He's one of my great friends. If I need to step in and take some of the limelight off him so he can relax a little bit, then I'll do that."

One notable topic during the press conference was Littler’s emotional reaction after the match. The young world champion has experienced difficult moments with crowds in recent months and has faced negative reactions at several venues.

Humphries showed understanding for his colleague and friend. "I've always been a good loser. I can take defeat because you know you're not going to win everything.

"I've had my fair share of wins and I've won a lot of things. If you're sitting here with 12 major final losses and only one win, you're probably going to be a lot more disappointed because you haven't achieved everything you wanted to.

"I've pretty much done it all. I've won everything. So now I'm a bit more relaxed. Everything I win now feels like a bonus. I'm just trying to win as much as I can, put myself up there, create a legacy and hopefully give the fans something they enjoy watching."

Humphries also believes it could be a turning point in regards to his relationship with the fans but was unequivocal that the sport needs Luke Littler and not the other way around. "What he said up there was emotional. He'd never actually put the darts down because that's not who he is. He's where he is because he's such a great darts player.

"I've been through it myself. After I beat him in the World Championship, it felt like everyone was against me for no real reason. It's hard because you get to the point where you don't even want to go and play because it feels like everyone hates you.

"I know what he's going through. But people do want to watch him play. Darts needs Luke Littler – Luke Littler doesn't need darts, that's the truth. It's nice to see him bounce back with the fans. He's doing more on social media to show people he's just a normal person. I think a lot of people see him as a robot, but he's not. He's a normal person and a good kid. That's what he's trying to show everyone."

Also asked why he is so strong over this longer format, Humphries sees that Littler has a throw that is less likely to break down under pressure. "He's a bit like me. He's got a really solid throw and there's not much that can go wrong.

"When you're that young, it's hard to explain how you can be so clinical. He might not have loads of experience compared to some players, but over the last couple of years he's gained a lot.

"He's also not had many of the mental or physical scars that can affect players. Everything has gone his way so far. A loss tonight would have hurt him because he's not used to losing finals. He has belief in his game all the time. He's a fantastic player and, as today showed, sometimes even my best isn't good enough."

Despite the defeat, Humphries is already focusing on the next major tournaments. The next big individual test will be the World Matchplay in Blackpool, an event many players regard as the second most important ranking tournament of the year. Humphries sees plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

"But before I even get a chance to play Luke again, I've got to beat everyone else in front of me.

"The Matchplay is tough because you're playing so many great players. It's not like the Premier League where you can afford a couple of losses and still recover. In the Matchplay, if you lose, you're out.

"I've been playing some great darts. If I can go there and play like I did tonight consistently, I'll be a difficult player to beat. I'll keep doing what I do, keep pushing and keep making it hard for him to win these tournaments. If he's having to average what he did tonight to beat me, then I'll keep making life difficult for him."