James Wade will not be in the Premier League Darts this year. In 2009, "The Machine" managed to win this PDC major.
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Who is in this year's field of Premier League participants is 17-year-old Luke Littler. After his final run at the past World Darts Championship, he now gets to show his tricks every week in the biggest venues in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland.
Wade, however, thinks it's too soon for Littler. "A huge tournament in the limelight should have been followed by a year of keeping his head down, picking up ranking points, learning about his game, and gradually becoming a force to be reckoned with," Wade told Daily Star.
"But Littler has already become the PDC’s biggest asset and they want to parade him around the country - and in the case of the World Series, the globe - while they have him. I will caveat by saying that he might revel in it, lap it up and finish top of the top four – but ultimately that will come at a cost further down the line."
Inspiration
Yet Littler's strong performances are also an inspiration to Wade. "For the rest of us though it is an incentive. I certainly want to be back in the Premier League and think I have done myself more than justice when I have been included in the past – but the criteria is harder than ever now and to be considered to really must be winning major honours over the course of the year – which is exactly what I am concentrating on doing."
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.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
This week is Children’s Mental Health Week and a reminder to always give your kids a chance to talk about and share their feelings #childrensmentalhealthweek#allontheboard