Luke Humphries sheds new light on the time he almost quit - 'I couldn't think straight'

Luke Humphries stands alone at the summit of the darting world, and he has a golden opportunity to cement his status as the sport's top dog by winning the Premier League Darts title tonight (Thursday). But things could have turned out so differently.

Battling with crippling anxiety and panic attacks during his younger years, 'Cool Hand' considered quitting darts altogether back in 2017. Although he decided to stick around, things once again looked bleak when he suffered an anxiety attack midway through a tournament in 2019.

"When you go through the kind of moments I was going through, it's hard to think straight," Humphries told Express Sport. "I did contemplate giving it up because it was affecting my mental health, but I saw the right people and managed to get the help I needed.

"It made me mentally and physically stronger. That is the key to my success, I feel - those experiences I went through. All these things I have to go through in darts now, I'm able to deal with it."

Humphries was forced to deal with immense pressure when he came up against Luke Littler in January's World Darts Championship final. Littler was 16 years old at the time and a firm crowd favourite, but Humphries held his nerve to notch his first global triumph.

The pair could go toe-to-toe again in the Premier League finale this week after finishing first and second in the table. Littler topped the pile but Humphries admits he would 'relish' the opportunity to face him at London's O2 Arena.

For that to happen, the 29-year-old would need to come through a tough semi-final against Michael van Gerwen. Humphries is heavily fancied against the Dutchman, having won their last six head-to-head meetings.

Littler, meanwhile, would need to beat former world champion Michael Smith in his own play-off clash. And 'Bully Boy' is fresh from an impressive nightly win in Sheffield last week.

Overall victory would net Humphries a whopping £275,000 cash prize to add to the £500,000 he scooped up at Alexandra Palace only five months ago. Moments like these spark intrigue around what the world No 1's life would look like if he had turned his back on the sport seven years ago.

"I would probably still be a roofer," he said. "That is probably the thing I'd have carried on doing, but I'm glad I never gave it up. It's something I always dreamed of doing, being a professional darts player, and I'd have been a silly man to throw that all away."

Luke Humphries is playing in the BetMGM Premier League Play-Offs at the O2 Arena. Visit BetMGM.co.uk 18+ BeGambleAware