Wade on current state of darts ahead of Premier League: "I don't think darts now is full of great players"

James Wade will once again make his return to the Premier League Darts after winning the UK Open last year secured him a spot and with fans returning and all of the commitments around it, it's a prospect he is relishing.

"It's a proper Premier League, we get to travel again, we get to interact with people. I'm sure some of it, some of us will hate when we get booed at wrong times but we will love it when we get cheered at the right time.

"It's a long 16 weeks and it's bloody hard but I'm looking forward to it."

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With a new format and dart board, some have said it's a new era but it isn't the way Wade looks at it.

"I wouldn't say a new era, just the game is being modified and you need changes in the game to move the model forwards. You do need that. As much as you can change the players around and expect more, other things have to happen as well and stuff is changing. It's all positives."

But Wade also gave his honest take on the current state of darts now compared to years gone by.

"I don't think darts now is full of great players. Years ago, it was Phil Taylor was the great player and everyone else was a participant but I think there's so many players now that there's not one person further in front of everyone. It doesn't exist."