"Next year he'll be back in the top-15 in the world" - Nathan Aspinall believes in resurrection of Michael Smith
PDCSaturday, 08 November 2025 at 21:20
Nathan Aspinall recently expressed his confidence that his good friend Michael Smith will return to the top-15 of the world rankings next year. 'The Asp,' who will also compete for the title at the Grand Slam of Darts next week, will immediately face his compatriot in his opening match Saturday night.
Besides Smith, the two-time major winner will also meet No. 1 in the world Luke Humphries and American debutant Alex Spellman. Aspinall sees 'Bully Boy' finally climbing back toward his old level, after a tough period filled with injuries to his wrist, shoulder and foot, as well as a battle with arthritis.
"He has had a tough time, but is on the right track back."
"He's back on track," Aspinall said. "He was through a lot. He's had a lot of injuries, and mentally it wasn't easy. That's why I'm really happy to see him back on television. Well, less happy that he's in my group, but good," he laughed.
"Michael did it his own way. I openly sought help at the time; he preferred to handle it himself. Everyone handles that differently, and fair play for that. But he's done well. He never lost his talent, just his confidence. Last weekend at the qualifiers you saw that: he played very well again."
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"Hopefully he plays badly against me"
"He absolutely deserves to be here. Hopefully he throws bad against me on Saturday and then great. Michael always does his own thing, and that seems to be working again now. He's back on TV, and I really believe he'll be back in the top fifteen by the end of next year," 'The Asp' concluded.
The former world champion has endured a tough season so far with no fewer than 19 first-round defeats on the Pro Tour. He risks ending the year for the first time since 2019 without a title.
Smith additionally slumped on the PDC Order of Merit and is currently ranked a paltry 30th. He also did not receive an invitation to the Premier League and missed the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix. However, through the Grand Slam of Darts Tour Card Holder Qualifier he did manage to qualify for the major tournament in Wolverhampton, where he can finally be seen on the big stage again on Saturday.
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