James Wade shares 'lonesome' reality of World Series return: "After 25 years of doing it, it’s quite sad that no one’s sharing the experience with me"

James Wade returned to the World Series of Darts stage with victory in Copenhagen, then delivered the kind of press conference that showed exactly why his latest invitation appears to mean so much.

The Englishman beat Madars Razma 6-1 in the first round of the Nordic Darts Masters, averaging 87 in a match that never really caught fire but still got him safely through. Wade was not pretending it had been a vintage display. “Quite lackadaisical and lazy,” he said afterwards. “But yeah, just happy to win.”

That result put Wade into the next round, but the wider picture around his return was just as striking. After a spell where he had not been part of every World Series selection, the 11-time major winner spoke openly about being back among what he called “the big boys”.

“I’ll tell you what, it’s just really nice to be invited to it again,” Wade said. “I’m not saying I deserve to be invited or I haven’t deserved to be invited, but it’s nice to be part of the game where the big boys play. I think I’ve probably been overdue it, so I’m just happy to be here.”

Wade’s place in Copenhagen comes during a period where he has repeatedly reminded the darting world of his staying power. He has reached three televised finals across the past 12 months, even if the final step has so far escaped him.

That run was on his mind when he reflected on being selected for the Nordic Darts Masters and the US Darts Masters in New York.“Initially I thought, ‘Oh wow, wow, wow, I’ve been considered for it,’” he said. “Then afterwards I thought, ‘Well, I lost in three finals in 12 months, so I’m probably quite eligible.’”

Wade has never been a player overly interested in forcing emotion for the cameras, but there was a clear sense that this return mattered. His next target is simple enough.“I would like to win a TV tournament, to be fair,” he said. “I think I’ve had three runner-up finishes in the last 12 months and I believe that probably one of them should have gone my way. We just keep plugging along and just keep going. I know I’ve still got the game in me and I’m still good enough to win titles.”

Asked whether he felt freer and more relaxed on stage, Wade pushed back slightly. For him, the issue is not freedom as much as acceptance.“I just think I’m trying to enjoy being part of what top players are part of, and I think I also need to realise I am one of the top players,” he said. “I’m trying to join in, trying to fit in. Story of my life really. It’s been the same since I was at nursery. I’m doing it for all the awkward people.”

Wade also gave a revealing answer when asked about walking on to Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing”. The song was not his own choice, but he admitted it suits the stage he has reached in his career. “It wasn’t chosen by me,” he said. “It was chosen by a close friend, so it is what it is. It’s probably quite apt. Not as exciting as what people want, but it’s probably quite apt.”

Wade has been operating near the top of professional darts for 25 years. The song may not have been selected by him, but he did not shy away from the message behind it. "Still standing. I’ve been there for 25 years and achieved a whole lot more than other people, so it’s pretty good, right?”

That sense of perspective ran through much of his interview. Wade said some players may not always fully appreciate World Series selection, particularly when it becomes part of their regular calendar. For him, the invitation still carries weight.

“I don’t think some of the dart players realise how lucky they are to be selected,” he said. “Some of it is quite repetitive and some of it is a natural progression for the PDC to select them. For people like myself, it’s quite a privileged position.”

Wade was in good spirits when discussing Copenhagen, describing the city as “magical” and joking that it was “a damn sight better than Barnsley and Wigan”.

His arrival in the city also brought a slightly surreal introduction to local festivities. Wade admitted he was not entirely sure what was happening at first, but went along with it anyway. “I’m not quite sure what was going on, but I smiled and took a picture,” he said. “I’m not quite sure what was going on.”

He was more taken by the historical details he picked up in the city, including the colour-coded buildings linked to old trading traditions. “I learned that all the buildings along that whole stretch were a certain colour,” Wade said. “A certain colour means salt, a certain colour means meat and so forth. That’s why they still follow the tradition, which is pretty cool really.”

Still, the World Series return is not without its difficult side. Wade admitted that travelling alone has made the experience feel heavier than it might have done with company. “The only negative I’m having at the moment is I’m doing these World Series events on my own, with no companion,” he said. “So it’s quite tricky, quite hard work, quite lonesome. After 25 years of doing it, it’s quite sad that no one’s sharing the experience with me. But I’m still happy and grateful to be here.”

That will change for a future trip to Australia, where Wade plans to bring one of his oldest friends along for the journey. “When I go to Australia, I’m taking one of my very, very best friends from when I was about five or six,” he said. “Lee, who is probably my lifelong friend, same as Danny. We’re going to go along and enjoy the journey together.”

Wade already has plans for that trip too, including sea fishing, seafood and what he called “little food-eating challenges on the plane”. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” he added.

Wade has also become more active on social media in recent months, something he confirmed is a deliberate move. He wants supporters to see more than the intense match face that has followed him through much of his career. "One hundred per cent, because I don’t want to be judged on my miserable little face on TV,” he said. “There’s a lot more to me.”

There was more humour than defensiveness in the answer, but also a clear point. Wade knows how he has often been perceived, and he seems ready to show a different side of himself. “We’ve got a lot of other things going on behind the scenes,” he said. “I’m not going to say too much, but we’ve got lots and lots of things going on. I’m not quite as boring as what people think and I’m far more interesting than a lot of other dart players. That’s all I’m going to say.”

For now, Wade is back winning on the World Series stage and still chasing the televised title he believes remains within reach. The next performance will need to be sharper, but Copenhagen has already given him something valuable: another reminder that he is still very much part of the conversation.