"I’ve gone back to doing what I know works" - Resurgent Nathan Aspinall heads to European Championship 2025 as number one seed

Nathan Aspinall heads into the 2025 European Championship in Dortmund as the top seed. The Englishman, fresh from lifting the German Darts Championship title last weekend, will be looking to carry that winning form into the Westfalenhalle, where from Thursday to Sunday the 32 best performers on this year’s European Tour will battle it out.

With world champion Luke Littler and world number one Luke Humphries among the star attractions, the field is stacked with talent — and includes five former champions, notably Michael van Gerwen.

“It’s been a difficult few months since the World Matchplay,” conceded Aspinall to the PDC, after having celebrated German Darts Championship glory in Hildesheim on Sunday. “My performances since Blackpool had not been great, but I’ve been working hard at home. I’ve gone back to doing what I know works; putting in plenty of practice and working on my fitness."

“It was an amazing weekend of darts, and to be the number one seed going into the European Championship has given me another huge confidence boost,” added The Asp.

The 34-year-old from Stockport will begin his campaign on Friday night against two-time European Champion Rob Cross in one of the standout ties of the opening round.

For Aspinall, the tournament represents an opportunity to underline his resurgence as the season enters its final stretch. His consistent results across the European Tour have not only secured him top spot in the rankings for this event, but also vital points towards the PDC Order of Merit — where he sits just outside the world’s top 20.

Historically, the European Championship has not been kind to ‘The Asp’. He has featured seven times before, reaching the semi-finals only once, back in 2021. On three occasions he’s exited in the first round, and on another three he’s fallen at the second-round stage.