Phil Taylor responds to Luke Humphries sending him message immediately after winning Premier League title
**Phil Taylor’s Heartfelt Response to Luke Humphries’ Post-Premier League Message**
Phil Taylor expressed surprise and gratitude after Luke Humphries thanked him immediately following his 11-8 victory over Luke Littler in the 2025 Premier League Darts final on May 29, 2025, at The O2 Arena, per SPORTbible.com. Humphries’ message credited Taylor’s recent support for his first Premier League title, a moment that resonates with the resilience of athletes like Aryna Sabalenka and Jack Grealish.
**Humphries’ Message and Taylor’s Response**
After securing the £275,000 prize and completing darts’ Triple Crown (World Championship, World Matchplay, Premier League), Humphries told Sky Sports, “Phil Taylor has given me a lot of support over the last couple of weeks so, Phil, if you are watching, thank you. He gave me a lot of advice and that extra support,” per SPORTbible.com. On talkSPORT, Taylor, who missed the final due to a theatre performance in Portsmouth, reacted warmly, saying, “That was nice wasn’t it… I haven’t actually seen that you know because I never got the chance to watch it,” per SPORTbible.com. He confirmed their ongoing communication, noting, “We text each other,” and praised both Humphries and Littler as “great for the game,” per SPORTbible.com.
**Nature of Taylor’s Support**
Humphries revealed Taylor’s advice focused on self-belief rather than tactics against Littler, stating, “It was all about me… He was telling me stuff about myself, about believing in me,” per skysports.com. He kept specifics private, emphasizing, “I would never say anything that he’s told me specifically, because that’s our business,” per skysports.com. Taylor’s mentorship, rooted in his 16 world titles and six Premier League crowns, helped Humphries overcome a 3-0 deficit, averaging 97.86 to Littler’s 100.29, per BBC.co.uk.
**Context and Broader Impact**
Humphries’ win, his ninth over Littler in 105 days, marked him as the fourth player to achieve the Triple Crown, joining Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, and Gary Anderson, per independent.co.uk. Taylor also issued a warning to Littler about needing 25 years of dedication to break his records, per SPORTbible.com. The duo’s dominance, with 10 of 16 Premier League nights won, mirrors Sabalenka’s defense of Djokovic and Grealish’s potential Arsenal move, reflecting perseverance, per express.co.uk, FootballTransfers.com.
**Conclusion**
Phil Taylor was touched by Luke Humphries’ immediate gratitude for his support after winning the 2025 Premier League Darts title, responding, “That was nice,” and confirming their text exchanges, per SPORTbible.com. Taylor’s advice, centered on self-confidence, fueled Humphries’ 11-8 triumph over Littler, per skysports.com. Like Sabalenka’s advocacy and Grealish’s transfer saga, Humphries’ success highlights resilience. He and Littler next team up at the World Cup of Darts, June 12-15, live on Sky Sports.