Nathan Aspinall Reveals He Discovered Premier League Darts Snub Through Text Message

Nathan Aspinall has disclosed that he learned of his exclusion from the Premier League Darts 2026 lineup through a text message. The top four players in the PDC Order of Merit, including world champion Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, World Championship finalist Gian van Veen, and Michael van Gerwen, automatically qualified for the event. The wildcard selections included Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock, Gerwyn Price, and Jonny Clayton, resulting in Aspinall's omission. Aspinall, who reached the Finals Night in the Premier League last year, has slipped to world No 14 in the order of merit. He found out about his exclusion while traveling with Stephen Bunting, who received a text message confirming his spot at 3:15 pm, while Aspinall received a text message informing him of his exclusion at 3:21 pm. Aspinall stated that he has accepted the decision and is focused on moving forward, using this as motivation to improve his performance and avoid missing out on future events. Meanwhile, Bunting expressed his disappointment at the uncertainty surrounding his spot, emphasizing that he believes he deserves to be in the Premier League due to his strong performance last year, which included six tournament wins and 10 finals appearances.