Nathan Aspinall names ‘feisty little b******’ he argues with more than any other player on PDC darts tour

Nathan Aspinall has revealed the one player he clashes with more than anyone else on the PDC circuit, describing Danny Noppert as a “feisty little b******” despite insisting there is no genuine animosity between them.

The world No.16 admitted the Dutch star is responsible for most of the heated exchanges he has during tournaments, saying Noppert’s calm public image hides a much more fiery personality.

Aspinall said: “The one guy I argue with the most or have bust-ups with is Danny Noppert.

“He comes across as really quiet, but he’s a feisty little b******. It’s always everyone else’s fault but his own.

“I don’t hate him. Danny Noppert is a really nice guy, but he can be a t** sometimes.”

Away from the light-hearted confession, Aspinall also reflected on one of the most difficult spells of his career.

The 35-year-old admitted being left out of the Premier League for the first time since 2022 took a huge emotional toll, draining his motivation during a challenging season in which he was also dealing with personal issues away from the oche.

Although he captured a European Tour title earlier this year, the Stockport ace confessed darts had not been his main focus as he struggled to balance life on tour with challenges at home.

However, Aspinall believes his passion for the game has returned following his impressive display against world No.1 Luke Littler at last week’s World Matchplay.

He pushed Littler all the way in an 11-8 second-round defeat, averaging more than 100 and producing what proved to be the toughest test of the eventual champion’s campaign.

Aspinall said: “Like every other year, it’s been a rollercoaster. I haven’t been playing much because of other things going on in my life.

“Everyone has stuff they’re dealing with. Unfortunately, I can’t hide behind a desk. I’m on stage trying to perform while dealing with everything else.

“I’ve been doing okay, but darts hasn’t been my priority this year.

“Those two games and that tournament last week gave me my love for the game back.

“It’s hard when you’re not winning. You’re spending so much time away from your kids and your wife, then turning up to tournaments and playing badly.

“After that, you’re getting on another flight home after another disappointing weekend. It becomes difficult to keep going.

“Missing out on the Premier League absolutely killed me. I haven’t really admitted that before, but it did.

“I only got into the World Series in Bahrain because someone else didn’t want to go, so I filled in.

“I’ve had plenty of setbacks this year, but my whole career has been built on overcoming setbacks.

“I’ve come through the other side.”