"For selfish reasons I was happy... but I see why people are annoyed" - Luke Humphries admits Premier League Darts 2025 lineup doesn't please everyone
PDC
It's fair to say, the PDC's lineup selection for the 2025 Premier League Darts caused quite a stir. Both within the sport itself and amongst fans online, there seems to be discontent at the choices made.
Current world number one Luke Humphries was always guaranteed selection. Given he himself was once a controversial omission in 2023 though, he can understand both sides of the argument. “For selfish reasons, I was happy with it because I get on really well with Nathan Aspinall and Chris Dobey, so I was pleased they were in,” he told Express Sport. “But it’s a hard scenario because I don’t think anybody in 2024, apart from me, Luke Littler, and Michael Van Gerwen, were really putting their hand up and consistently having a great year."
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“I see why people are annoyed but it happens every year," continues the former world champion honestly. "I was annoyed, and I know Joe Cullen and Danny Noppert were annoyed back in 2023. And then last year I know there were more players angry not to be selected. So it’s the same every time and you can’t please everybody.”
Given there is only room for eight players in Premier League Darts in the current format, by its very nature it cannot please everyone. “Eight players it whittles down to,” Humphries notes. “It’s a small field and hard to pick out of a great array of talent. I guess the guys that didn’t get picked will just have to use me as inspiration from that year I didn’t get selected. I then went and had one of the best years of my life. If they can take inspiration from that, they can get themselves picked in 2026.”
Humphries lost 11-7 to Luke Littler in last year's Premier League Darts final. "That’s the target for me, to win that,” he concludes. “It’s got a great field of players and lots of experience, so it’s definitely something that I’m targeting along with the Matchplay and the World Championships. It’s something that everybody wants and that’s the main one I want to win.”
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