"Van Gerwen's mindset, Littler's finishing, and Price's muscle" – The ideal darts player according to fans at the 2025 World Cup of Darts
PDC
During the 2025 World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, our very own Dartsnews.com team took to the stands with a mission: to find out what makes the perfect darts player. Not just any player, but a true icon — someone who embodies everything that makes the sport so special.
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With questions ranging from the best walk-on and the most powerful scorer, to the deadliest finisher on doubles, the smoothest throwing technique, and the coolest nickname, a clear picture slowly emerged of what fans consider the ideal darts player.
It quickly became clear that no single real-life player could check all the boxes. Opinions varied, but some names echoed repeatedly throughout the Frankfurt Arena.
“He’s the Green Boogeyman”
For Philipp and Nevio from Dreieich-Offenthal, the choice for best walk-on was an easy one. “Michael van Gerwen is the only real answer,” they said. “He’s the green boogeyman, and Seven Nation Army fits him like a glove. His entrance is more than just a walk-on—it’s magic. Even though he’s not playing this year, the crowd still sings: ‘Ohh, Michael van Gerwen!’”
When it came to scoring power, most fans were in agreement: Luke Littler is the undisputed king. “What he’s doing is unreal,” Nevio said. “He’s broken the Premier League 180 record two years in a row. He just keeps setting new records. On Saturday, when Germany played England, I was genuinely scared of him.”
For doubles, Nevio picked Danny Noppert. “He’s solid on every double. No favorites—he just hits them all.” Philipp, however, preferred a more segmented view. “I like to break it down by double,” he explained. “For tops, I go with Gerwyn Price—ice cold. Double 10? That’s Luke Littler’s specialty. You really have to look at each double, because different players excel in different areas.”
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In terms of throwing style, Gary Anderson’s name came up frequently. “His motion is pure—straight, accurate, elegant,” said Philipp with admiration. “Especially when his first dart hits triple 20, the rest usually follow. He’s a classic, almost a darting aesthete. Watching him hit a 180 is just beautiful.”
And when it came to nicknames, fans still gravitated toward the legends. “Mighty Mike, The Flying Scotsman, The Power—those names have character,” Nevio laughed. “Much better than most of the new generation’s nicknames.”
Two passionate darts fans and lots of expertise: Nevio and Philipp have a precise idea of their "perfect darts player"
"If You Want to Be World Champion, You Have to Score"
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Laura from Frankfurt offered a different perspective. For her, Peter Wright had the best walk-on. “He brings the crowd in. His energy is contagious—you can tell he lives for the stage.” On scoring, she didn’t hesitate. “If you want to be world champion, you have to score. So my pick is Luke Littler.”
For doubles, she chose Martin Schindler, who, alongside Ricardo Pietreczko, hit an impressive 62% success rate against England. As for throwing technique, Gian van Veen stood out in her eyes. “His darts land almost horizontally on the board—you hardly ever see that. That’s what makes it so special.”
And her favorite nickname? “The Asp” – Nathan Aspinall’s moniker. “It just sounds cool.”
A classic walk-on, and surprising choice for finest pitching style
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“He’s a Scoring Machine”
Gabriel from Frankfurt also had a soft spot for Aspinall—especially his walk-on. “Mr. Brightside is a classic. You can feel the crowd swaying with it.” For throwing style, he picked Luke Littler for his smooth motion. But for scoring, Gabriel leaned toward Luke Humphries: “He’s a real scoring machine.” His choice for doubles was Gerwyn Price, and the coolest nickname, in his view, belonged to Matt Campbell: The Ginja Ninja.
Eliminated early at World Cup of Darts, but essential for Gabriel's perfect player: the duo of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries
"What He Does on the Trebles Is Still Phenomenal"
Kai from Wiesbaden put a twist on his picks. “For entrance music, I’ve got to go with Martin Schindler—he walks on to Rammstein.” Although Littler was the obvious choice in scoring, Kai preferred Michael van Gerwen. “What he does on the trebles is still phenomenal.” For doubles, he returned to German pride, choosing Ricardo Pietreczko. “Pikachu is lethal on the outer rings.” He also picked Gian van Veen for best throwing technique, and for best nickname, he went with Littler’s The Nuke.
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Impressed by the pitching style of semifinalist Gian van Veen: Kai from Wiesbaden
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“It’s Just Atmosphere—You Want to Be There”
Fin from Wiesbaden and Johann from Darmstadt were in complete agreement on the best walk-on: Gerwyn Price. “‘Ice Ice Baby’ with Gezzy is pure atmosphere. It makes you want to be there.” Littler was again their go-to scorer, but surprisingly, they picked Van Gerwen for doubles. “He’s just reliable. A multiple world champion. You can count on him.” To show some national pride, they picked Martin Schindler’s nickname, The Wall, though they admitted his semifinal performance wasn't his best.
The German number one cannot be missing from the German shirt: Finn and Johann support Martin Schindler in their selection
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“Nathan Aspinall Is My Guy”
For Felix from Saarbrücken, it’s a no-brainer. “Mr. Brightside always hits the spot. So Nathan Aspinall is my guy.” He chose Littler for both scoring and doubles. His favorite throw came from Josh Rock, and again, he went with Schindler’s The Wall as his top nickname.
Josh Rock left a lasting impression on Felix from Saarbrücken: despite Northern Ireland's victory over Germany, "Rocky" won the award for best pitching style
“Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor Is Still a Legend”
Frederik from Wiesbaden gave a shoutout to the German team. “Today I’m going with Major Tom, the song the German team used at the World Cup.” But when it came to scoring, Littler was his clear favorite. Josh Rock impressed him with his doubles in the match against Germany. And although he’s not a huge fan of Gerwyn Price, he admitted Price’s throwing style is among the finest. For nickname, he went old-school: “Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor is still a legend.”
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A blast from the past: "The Power" remains Frederick's peerless nickname
The Final Verdict: This Is the Ultimate Darts Player, According to the Fans
After countless conversations with passionate fans, a kind of consensus finally emerged. According to the crowd at the 2025 World Cup of Darts, the perfect darts player would look like this:
- Walk-on: Nathan Aspinall – Mr. Brightside won just a few more hearts than Van Gerwen, Price, or the German team.
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- Scoring: Luke Littler – almost no debate here. The young Englishman dominated this category.
- Doubles: Luke Littler – though he faced stiff competition from Van Gerwen, Price, Pietreczko, Schindler, Rock, and Noppert.
- Throwing Style: Gian van Veen – a standout pick whose unique form left a lasting impression.
- Nickname: The Wall – Martin Schindler’s nickname came out on top, though The Nuke, The Power, The Asp, The Ginja Ninja, Mighty Mike, and The Flying Scotsman weren’t far behind.
Kieran WoodDarts Journalist
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
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- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
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- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026