"I'm not a big darts fan anymore": Nathan Aspinall makes honest admission about falling out of love with darts
PDC
Nathan Aspinall has made the admission that it is no longer about the love of the sport for him and it is solely about providing a future for his family after his World Matchplay exit earlier this week.
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Aspinall lost out to Wessel Nijman at the World Matchplay, a defeat which saw him plummet from World No.7 to World No.23. A ranking drop which in theory was always going to happen given that he was defending his title from 24 months ago.
He confessed that he no longer enjoys darts and doesn't watch any of the tournaments when he is not at them or not playing at them. A far cry from before and he said that it is down to the constant rigmarole of traveling and the monotony of missing family life.
“I'm not a big darts fan anymore. I don't sit at home when I'm not playing and watch it. I didn't watch the World Cup, for example. If I'm out of the tournament, I won't go back to my house and see who wins," he said to Footy Accumulators.
“Everyone thinks it's all roses and you travel to these amazing places, which we do, but it's very lonely. I spent five days in New York on my own and was so bored. I'm missing a wedding next month because I'm in Kiel, so I'll miss a lot of family time and key events. But I'm the one who has to make the sacrifices so my family can have a good life.”
But as a result of yearning for those family moments he said that everything now goes towards his future. A player that has often had his story shared due to going from rags to riches, his family now have a life which has been provided to him thanks to hard work on the dart board.
All about the future for Aspinall
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He said that it is now a job for him and setting it all up for the future over his own self enjoyment. "I treat it as my job now, and I'm here to make as much money as I can. It's about giving my family the best life I can, which basically means I do it for the money. I want to win trophies and win titles, but first and foremost, I want to win as much money as I can so my family can have a great life, that's my main drive and my motivation.
Love of darts has gone for Aspinall.
“If you're treating it as a passion and as a hobby, I don't think there's any pressure on you to win because you're just enjoying yourself, so it’s harder for me. I don't like losing, and I know that if I turn up to work and don't perform, I'm not making any money, so there’s big pressure.”
But he also added that he has struggled at times with being perceived as a celebrity and said that he is trying to improve that part.
Struggling with being perceived as a celebrity
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He said that seeing himself on a billboard in Times Square is odd and that it's uncomfortable for him to see himself on a billboard or get asked for pictures.
But from a selfish personal point of view, he did say that being able to send this stuff to his family including his daughters or mum and dad is what makes it worthwhile.
"From a personal point of view, I buzz off when I see myself on a big sign, I'm proud and I'll take a picture, maybe send it to my mum and dad or show my daughters that daddy's on a billboard or your son's on a billboard, it is mental.
“I kind of fell into darts, got good at it, then all of a sudden, you're not geared up for what's going to happen. Whereas with football, golf, you're going through academies and universities. It's uncomfortable and it's difficult, but you get to learn it.
"But when it comes to a Friday night, when I walk into Madison Square Garden or another venue, that all gets put to the back of my mind. I'm there to play darts. I'm there to do a job, and that's when I'm comfortable.“
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"When I'm walking through Times Square and my face is on a billboard and people ask me for pictures, that's when I'm not. Darts is what I know, and that celebrity stuff is still pretty hard to do, but I'm getting better with it.”
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
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.
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