"I feel lost, like a gut punch": James Wade 'struggling' with missing out on Premier League selection

For James Wade, the recent World Darts Championship turned into a major disappointment. The 42-year-old Englishman, currently ranked eleven in the world, was knocked out 3-2 by Ricky Evans in the second round. He also missed out on an invitation to the Premier League Darts. And it’s that last part that is really gnawing at “The Machine.”

Despite a season full of impressive performances, including two major semi-finals and a Pro Tour title, his campaign still ended in a way he himself considers unusual, but also disappointing. “Not much consolation for me, but the way I exited the World Championship was a bit special. Some folks said it was the game of the tournament,” Wade says in his column for the Daily Star.

He would, however, have preferred to bow out in full glory. “Still, I would have preferred to bow out in glory rather than how it happened. Fair play to Ricky Evans, who showed a lot of skill in the heat of battle.”

Despite his early exit, Wade still followed the rest of the Worlds closely. Gary Anderson started strongly and looked on course for the final, but was eventually knocked out in the semi-finals by Gian van Veen. “Gary Anderson had a strong start and almost made it to the final, eventually reaching the semi-finals where he faced Gian van Veen. It was a thrilling performance to watch, but unfortunately, it ended badly for Gary,” he says.

In the final, many expected Van Veen to give Luke Littler a serious fight, but reality was different. Littler dominated completely: “I thought Gian would give Luke Littler a tough match in the final, but it turned out to be quite one-sided; Littler steamrolled through. In the end, it was almost a walk in the park for him, and I have to give hats off to Littler for his incredible achievement. He’s already won five or six major tournaments this year and is close to a clean sweep of TV events."

For Wade, clashes with Littler are a recurring theme. “I’ve faced Littler twice in finals at the UK Open and the World Matchplay and lost both times. Even though I did put up a fight against him in the quarter-finals of the European Championship (which I won), it still felt like scant reward for my season."

"I’m struggling with the Premier League selection process. I feel lost, honestly. I mean, I reached the finals of serious events like the UK Open and the World Matchplay, which are probably only eclipsed by the World Championship. I thought that should be enough,” he says candidly. Consistent performances, regularly making quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, still don’t always seem enough to gain recognition within the system.

He also notes that the World Championship has become a kind of curse for him. "I’ve been consistently good, regularly reaching the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals.

Unfortunately, the World Championship has been somewhat of a curse for me. The PDC seems to focus solely on the World Championship and overlooks the previous eleven months. I don’t want to criticise the players selected for the event, but besides Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, I believe I’ve been one of the most consistent players throughout the season. I’m really gutted about this situation."

Still, he remains determined. Despite the disappointments, the motivation to keep fighting is there: "I feel ready to compete again, but it feels like a gut punch. Nonetheless, I’m determined to get through it."

His story is an inspiring example of perseverance. It shows that success in darts isn’t just about a single big win, but also about the constant battle, building experience and maintaining fighting spirit, regardless of setbacks.