Gary Anderson has played down claims that the overall standard of professional darts has risen in recent years, despite the emergence of young stars such as Luke Littler.
Littler exploded onto the scene in 2023, reaching the World Darts Championship final on his debut before going on to dominate the sport. The teenager has since claimed back-to-back world titles and swept up five of the seven ranked majors in 2025, including the UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship.
Earlier this month, the 18-year-old defeated Gian van Veen, 23, in the youngest World Championship final in history, further underlining the arrival of a new generation at the top of the game.
After that final, Van Veen declared: “I said it all week, the young boys are here and we’re trying to take over the old guard — and Luke’s done it so far. This game is for the young players now and we’re here to show how it’s done.”
Anderson, however, is unconvinced that the standard itself has improved. Speaking to talkSPORT, the two-time world champion insisted the numbers tell a different story.
“The level hasn’t gone up,” Anderson said. “It’s the same as what us old lads are still hitting. The difference is there are just more of them.
“Before, you maybe had 20 players who could hit a 100 or 105 average. Now you’ve got 128. So I wouldn’t say they’re getting any better than us in terms of averages — there are just more players capable of doing it.”
The 55-year-old also explained why he continues to be selective with his schedule, pointing to the physical demands of modern darts.
“It’s the travelling,” Anderson said. “It’s great when you’re young and can go all over the world. I’ve done it and I loved it — I’ve seen places I only ever dreamed of because of darts.
“But it’s a hectic schedule, and it’s especially tough for Premier League players.”
On that subject, Anderson has already ruled out any return to the Premier League Darts, even before the PDC confirmed this year’s line-up.
“Listen, I’ve done the Premier League, but I couldn’t do it again — I’d say no,” he told Online Darts last month. “Even if I won the Worlds and got back to number two, I still couldn’t do it.”
He added: “People think it’s just one night a week. It’s not. It’s 16 weeks. You’re preparing on Wednesday, playing Thursday, then on Friday you’re trying to get somewhere else. It takes its toll.”
While a new generation may be grabbing headlines, Anderson remains adamant that the quality of darts itself hasn’t changed — only the number of players capable of producing it.
