James Wade Names Second Best Darts Player Ever Who Always Gets ‘Overlooked’
James Wade has delivered a surprising verdict on darts’ all-time greats, naming Gary Anderson as the second-best player in the sport’s history—while insisting the two-time world champion remains vastly underappreciated by modern fans and media alike.
The Verdict After Battle
Wade’s assessment came immediately following his bruising 4-3 victory over Anderson in the second round of the 2026 Winmau World Masters at Arena MK in Milton Keynes. The quarter-final clash showcased two of the PDC’s most decorated players trading blows across seven sets, with Wade ultimately prevailing in what he described as “just a scrap.”
“It was just a scrap, wasn’t it? Hard work, a hard battle, I’m just fortunate I came out the other side and be the one that’s got the W,” Wade reflected after the match. But it was his post-match praise for Anderson that truly raised eyebrows.
“As I’m going to say again, when he’s at his absolute prime, he’s the second best darts player ever to walk the planet, so it’s always nice to win,” Wade declared. He then added with characteristic bluntness: “But I couldn’t really care if it’s Gary or Tom t*t, I just want to try and prevail to the next round.”
The Overlooked Champion
Wade’s comments took a more serious turn when he addressed what he perceives as a fundamental problem in how modern darts fandom understands Anderson’s legacy. The 42-year-old Englishman believes newer and casual fans simply aren’t aware of the Scot’s true greatness—a situation he attributes directly to media coverage prioritizing flash over substance.
“I think the biggest impact in darts is the media and people getting hold of players that aren’t great but publicising them a lot,” Wade explained in a slightly spiky press conference captured on video. “In the world of darts, we’ve got casual fans, new fans that aren’t quite aware of what people like Gary Anderson did, you know. And he’s still doing as well, but yeah. Very, very, very overlooked, Gary.”
While Wade diplomatically refrained from naming which “players that aren’t great” receive disproportionate media attention, his implication was clear: marketing and personality often overshadow genuine achievement in the modern PDC landscape.
Anderson’s Case for Second Best
Wade’s assessment isn’t without merit. Gary Anderson’s career achievements speak for themselves:
- Two PDC World Championships (2015, 2016)
- Two Premier League titles (2011, 2015)
- Two World Matchplay crowns (2018, 2019)
- Multiple European Tour and Pro Tour victories
- Reached world number one in the rankings
- Fourth player to successfully defend the PDC World Championship (after Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis, and before Luke Littler)
At his peak between 2014-2019, Anderson was virtually unstoppable. His unique throwing style—often described as unconventional but devastatingly effective—produced some of the highest averages ever recorded in major tournaments. His 2016 World Championship victory over Adrian Lewis featured breathtaking scoring power, while his 2015 triumph over Phil Taylor represented a changing of the guard moment.
The numbers support Wade’s claim. Anderson has won 31 PDC ranking titles across all formats and spent years at the absolute summit of the sport. His consistency across all major formats—floor events, European Tours, and televised majors—demonstrated a completeness to his game that few have matched.
The Phil Taylor Shadow
Wade’s ranking implicitly acknowledges what virtually everyone in darts accepts: Phil Taylor is the undisputed greatest of all time. The Power’s 16 World Championships, 79 major titles, and decade-spanning dominance created a standard that may never be matched.
But the battle for second place behind Taylor remains fiercely contested. Michael van Gerwen boasts seven Premier League titles and 48 major championships. Raymond van Barneveld captured five World Championships. John Part and Adrian Lewis both won multiple world titles. And the teenage phenomenon Luke Littler has already accumulated 11 majors before his twentieth birthday.
Yet Wade’s choice of Anderson over these alternatives speaks to a player-to-player respect that transcends pure statistics. Anderson at his peak possessed something intangible—an ability to raise his game when it mattered most, to play loose when others tightened up, to smile through adversity and fight through pain.
The Modern Conundrum
Wade’s frustration with how Anderson is perceived reflects a broader tension in modern darts. The sport’s explosion in popularity—driven largely by Luke Littler’s teenage stardom and Sky Sports’ saturation coverage—has created a new generation of fans whose reference points begin with the current era.
For these newer supporters, Anderson represents an aging veteran whose best days are behind him, not the fearsome champion who dominated the mid-2010s. They see a 54-year-old occasionally reaching latter stages of tournaments but rarely threatening titles, not the player who averaged over 107 against Van Gerwen in a Grand Slam group match or threw a nine-dart attempt at the 2024 World Championship.
This generational disconnect bothers Wade precisely because he faced Anderson during those peak years. He knows firsthand how exceptional Anderson was—and still can be on his day—and bristles at the casual dismissal of that legacy by fans who never witnessed it firsthand.
The Media’s Role
Wade’s pointed comments about media coverage reflect a long-simmering frustration among certain PDC players. The machine who has won 11 major titles himself and reached four World Championship semi-finals, has frequently felt undervalued despite his considerable achievements.
His suggestion that “players that aren’t great” receive disproportionate publicity hints at the PDC’s shift toward personality-driven marketing. Walk-on songs, colorful nicknames, social media presence, and crowd interaction now factor heavily in determining which players receive promotional focus—not always the ones with the longest trophy lists.
Anderson, for all his achievements, has never courted the spotlight. He plays because he loves throwing darts, not because he craves fame. His interviews are straightforward, his demeanor relaxed, his personality unpretentious. In an era of carefully crafted personal brands, Anderson remains refreshingly authentic—and perhaps pays a commercial price for it.
Still Competing
What makes Wade’s assessment particularly notable is his acknowledgment that Anderson “is still doing as well” even at 54. The Flying Scotsman continues to compete at the highest level, reaching the 2026 World Championship semi-finals before losing to eventual finalist Gian van Veen.
That longevity itself argues for Anderson’s greatness. Twenty years into his PDC career, he can still trouble anyone on his day. His technical throwing mechanics have held up remarkably well, his scoring power remains formidable, and his competitive spirit shows no signs of diminishing.
The fact that Wade felt genuinely satisfied to beat Anderson—describing it as “always nice to win” against him—speaks volumes about the respect Anderson still commands from his peers, even if casual fans don’t fully appreciate his legacy.
The Bigger Picture
Wade’s comments raise important questions about how darts history will be remembered. As the sport continues its commercial ascent and attracts millions of new fans, will the achievements of pre-Littler champions like Anderson receive their proper due? Or will they fade into the background, their accomplishments eclipsed by the next generation’s highlights?
For Wade—a player who himself battles perceptions that he underachieved relative to his talent—Anderson’s underappreciation represents a cautionary tale. Both are among the greatest left-handers in darts history. Both have major title collections that would make any professional proud. Both occasionally bristle at feeling overlooked.
Perhaps that’s why Wade spoke so emphatically about Anderson’s greatness. In defending Anderson’s legacy, he’s also defending the value of sustained excellence across eras, the importance of respecting achievements even when they’re not constantly rehashed in modern media coverage.
The Second Best Debate
Whether Gary Anderson is definitively the second-greatest darts player ever remains debatable. Van Gerwen’s trophy haul is larger. Barney’s five world titles represent a singular achievement. Littler’s trajectory suggests he could surpass everyone not named Taylor.
But Wade’s perspective carries weight. He’s competed against every great player of the last two decades. He knows what it feels like to face Anderson at his absolute peak. And he believes that player—that version of Gary Anderson—was second only to Phil Taylor himself.
“Very, very, very overlooked, Gary,” Wade concluded. It was both a compliment to his opponent and an indictment of modern darts culture. Anderson has won everything there is to win, averaged the highs there are to average, and sustained excellence longer than almost anyone in the sport’s history.
If James Wade is right, perhaps it’s time casual fans learned why the man they see as a fading veteran was once the second-most fearsome player ever to pick up a set of darts. Before it’s too late, and Anderson’s prime becomes just another forgotten chapter in a sport racing headlong toward its next sensation.
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