"I want to destroy everything with my darts": Mike de Decker calls Premier League Darts snub 'scandalous', vows to hit back in 2025

Last Monday, the PDC announced the field of participants in the 2025 Premier League Darts. To his own dismay, Mike De Decker, last year's World Grand Prix winner, is not among them. The Belgian is determined to prove the PDC wrong in the coming months.

The top four players in the world - Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross, as well as Stephen Bunting, Chris Dobey, Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall - will be present. The choice of the latter two in particular caused a stir on social media. Price and Aspinall have not had their best year to say the least and, unlike De Decker, did not win a major in 2024;

"My first feeling immediately after the announcement was one of disbelief," De Decker as said to Het Nieuwsblad translated to English. "Especially because you had the history. For the past 20 years, the Grand Prix winner was there every time. I clean up that game there, but get passed over. That's sour. I can't change it at all, of course, the PDC is boss. But I think their decision, frankly, is unfair and scandalous."

Mike De Decker won last year's World Grand Prix

Not ready

According to PDC CEO Matt Porter, De Decker was not yet ready for Premier League Darts. "That explanation ...," the 29-year-old Belgian sighed. "I didn't think that one was fair. I had said after the Grand Prix final that I thought then I might not be ready and I don't regret that. That was my feeling at that time. But after that, I made a quarterfinal on the European Tour in Prague, played a world match at the Grand Slam of Darts against Littler and was in the quarterfinals of the Players Championship Finals. Only at the World Championship it didn't work out. It sucks and is unfortunate that it happened just then, but then again. That I would be "not ready" is too short. It's a pity they thought that way. After all, I do feel ready, because I showed that I can compete with the world's best."

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So that's how it is that no Belgian was selected for the Premier League Darts this year, even though both Decker and Van den Bergh won a major. "I really don't understand that. If it hadn't been for me, Dimitri also had a good year at the majors. If they had chosen him over me, I could still understand that. You know, I would have been happy for him. Now I don't understand it at all, especially Aspinall and Price. They didn't deserve it. And then they make a quarterfinal at the World Cup and suddenly they're in. I don't have a problem with Aspinall, lol, but he's been struggling with dartitis for two years. And Price spent six months shouting that he didn't want to play Premier League. Yeah that doesn't sit well with me. If Price throws poorly for two of the first three weeks, he's going to post something on Instagram again and start complaining. But they put him back in."

Aspinall

The choice of Aspinall is especially questionable. "Aspinall is in it purely for entertainment," says De Decker. "He often has a whole room singing along during his walk-on with Mr. Brightside by The Killers. Okay, but then the PDC needs to change the rules. Now they say you get into the Premier League based on results. So apparently that's not the case. It should just be fun for the public, then be clear about that. You get a glorious seventeen-week exhibition tournament now, nothing more. And ... I also have a good walk-on. At almost every tournament these days they sing along with my song. Even at the World Championship, everyone loved it. But yes..."

Despite the disappointment, De Decker wants to prove the PDC bosses wrong as soon as possible. "I want to destroy everything with my darts this year," said 'The Real Deal'. "Not that I'm going to win everything like Humphries did after they kept him out of the Premier League, but I'm going to try damn hard."

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