NATHAN ASPINALL has hit back after critics slammed his inclusion in the Premier League.
The competition starts in Belfast tomorrow with Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Rob Cross, Stephen Bunting, Chris Dobey and The Asp chosen as the eight players this year.
Nathan Aspinall has fired back at claims he should not be in the Premier League[/caption]
Aspinall has had enough of speaking about Mike De Decker[/caption]
Many thought Aspinall would drop out after an underwhelming 2024.
Despite making the quarter-final of the World Championships, the likes of Mike De Decker, Dave Chisnall, Damon Heta and Dimitri Van den Bergh were all tipped to replace him.
De Decker, who won the Grand Prix last year, slammed the decision as “scandalous” and “s***”.
He also claimed that Price and Aspinall did not deserve their spots, with the latter only chosen because of his fan’s favourite walk-on to Mr Brightside by The Killers.
Chisnall added fuel to the fire, saying: “It should be about the darts, and not your walk-on.”
Aspinall has now hit back ahead of Prem night one, telling Sky Sports: “I came off social media for a start. I said it recently, the only opinion that matters is the PDC’s.
“People are entitled to their opinion, people are entitled to favourites.
“But for me, the only opinions that matter are Matt Porter’s and the PDC’s and they put me in so I am in.
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“I don’t need to prove anything. I am really good friends with Chizzy and it isn’t Dave who would have written that. I have no issues with Dave because he won’t have written that.
“That is a separate issue that I will deal with and I am not going to talk about Mike De Decker. I am sick of talking about Mike De Decker.”
There are just two changes to last year’s line-up as Bunting and Dobey are in for two ex-world champs Michael Smith and Peter Wright.
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Premier League Darts 2025: Dates and venues
Night 1 – The SSE Arena, Belfast – Thursday February 6
Night 2 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow – Thursday February 13
Night 3 – 3Arena, Dublin – Thursday February 20
Night 4 – Westpoint Exeter – Thursday February 27
Night 5 – The Brighton Centre – Thursday March 6
Night 6 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham – Thursday March 13
Night 7 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff – Thursday March 20
Night 8 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle – Thursday March 27
Night 9 – Uber Arena, Berlin – Thursday April 3
Night 10 – AO Arena, Manchester – Thursday April 10
Night 11 – Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam – Thursday April 17
Night 12 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool – Thursday April 24
Night 13 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham, Thursday May 1
Night 14 – First Direct Arena, Leeds – Thursday May 8
Night 15 – P&J Live, Aberdeen – Thursday May 15
Night 16 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield – Thursday May 22
Play-Offs – The O2, London – Thursday May 29
