‘It’s harder to have banter’ – Luke Humphries names popular darts star he wants back in Premier League

Luke Humphries has admitted he would love to see a popular rival return to the Premier League Darts line-up.

The world No.2 says the competition is missing the energy of close friend Nathan Aspinall, whose personality usually keeps spirits high behind the scenes.

Humphries, 31, believes the atmosphere away from the oche simply isn’t the same without the Stockport star.

He said: “There’s not that same banter backstage where everyone’s going absolutely mental.

“You really need Nathan Aspinall for that. I miss him a lot in the back room because he’s full of life and always great fun.

“He’s one of my best mates on tour. When he’s not there, it makes the environment a bit quieter and the banter just isn’t the same.

“Luke Littler tends to keep himself to himself, so he’s not really involved in it. I’m usually part of the jokes, and Michael van Gerwen is normally the one who starts it.

“For me, it’s a great environment when everyone’s enjoying themselves. But once you’re on stage, it’s all business.”

Away from the Premier League, Humphries has also revealed a personal ambition to complete a clean sweep of darts’ biggest titles — ideally before Littler does.

The Leeds-born star recently cruised into the fifth round of the UK Open Darts Championship after a dominant 10–3 victory over Luke Woodhouse at Butlin’s Minehead Resort.

Nicknamed “Cool Hand”, Humphries has already captured every ranked major in the sport except the UK Open and the European Championship (PDC darts).

He came agonisingly close to claiming the European title last year but missed a match dart in the final against Gian van Veen.

Humphries admits that moment could still linger in his mind — even if he goes on to win the trophy.

“It would definitely be a nice achievement for me personally,” he said. “I’m not trying to do it to beat Luke [Littler]; I just want to earn it myself.

“If I win this weekend, there will probably still be that small thought in my head that I once missed a match dart to complete the set.

“It would be frustrating. But realistically I’ve still got another ten or fifteen years to try and win that European Championship if I don’t do it this year.

“And even if I never win the European Championship or the UK Open, I’ve still achieved so much in the game.

“I’ve won most of the majors I ever dreamed of winning. Of course there’s always that desire to win everything available.

“If I manage to do that one day, I’ll be incredibly proud. And I know I’ll have plenty of opportunities over the years to make it happen.”