‘Like a gut punch’ – Darts star admits he feels lost after devastating Premier League snub

James Wade has opened up on the disappointment of his Darts Premier League snub.

Wade endured a sub-par World Darts Championship showing, crashing out in the second round at the Ally Pally to Ricky Evans.

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The world number 11 still enjoyed a season of impressive performances, including two major semi-final appearances and a Pro Tour title.

However, Wade’s campaign was compounded by his early Ally Pally exit.

“Not much consolation for me, but the way I exited the World Championship was a bit special. Some folks said it was the game of the tournament,” Wade wrote in his column for the Daily Star.

“Still, I would have preferred to bow out in glory rather than how it happened. Fair play to Ricky Evans, who showed a lot of skill in the heat of battle.”

Despite his early exit, Wade admitted that he followed the Championship closely, and backed Gary Anderson to go the distance before his semi-final defeat to Dutchman Gian van Veen.

“Gary Anderson had a strong start and almost made it to the final, eventually reaching the semi-finals where he faced Gian van Veen. It was a thrilling performance to watch, but unfortunately, it ended badly for Gary,” Wade added.

The Englishman stated that he expected Van Veen to give Luke Littler a tougher test in the final.

“I thought Gian would give Luke Littler a tough match in the final, but it turned out to be quite one-sided; Littler steamrolled through,” Wade wrote.

“In the end, it was almost a walk in the park for him, and I have to give hats off to Littler for his incredible achievement. He’s already won five or six major tournaments this year and is close to a clean sweep of TV events.”

And on facing Littler himself, Wade stated: “I’ve faced Littler twice in finals at the UK Open and the World Matchplay and lost both times. Even though I did put up a fight against him in the quarter-finals of the European Championship (which I won), it still felt like scant reward for my season.”

‘I feel lost, honestly’

Despite his success over the season, Wade was still snubbed for a Premier League spot, with the 42-year-old admitting he ‘feels lost’ after being overlooked by the PDC.

“I’m struggling with the Premier League selection process. I feel lost, honestly,” Wade continued.

“I mean, I reached the finals of serious events like the UK Open and the World Matchplay, which are probably only eclipsed by the World Championship. I thought that should be enough.”

Wade then seemed to take aim at the PDC, adding: “I’ve been consistently good, regularly reaching the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals.

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“Unfortunately, the World Championship has been somewhat of a curse for me. The PDC seems to focus solely on the World Championship and overlooks the previous eleven months.

“I don’t want to criticise the players selected for the event, but besides Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, I believe I’ve been one of the most consistent players throughout the season. I’m really gutted about this situation.”

Despite the disappointment, Wade is determined to overcome the PDC’s “gut punch” decision.

“I feel ready to compete again, but it feels like a gut punch. Nonetheless, I’m determined to get through it,” Wade stated.

The Premier League Darts 2026 season gets underway on February 5th in Newcastle and runs every Thursday until May 28.