Michael van Gerwen names the one biggest 'miss' from Premier League Darts line-up

Michael van Gerwen has admitted he will “miss” Michael Smith during this year’s Premier League Darts after the Englishman was denied a place in the competition. This season’s Premier League will get underway in Belfast tonight (Thursday), with the season concluding with a Play-Off at the O2 Arena in May.

The top four players in the PDC order of merit automatically qualify for the Premier League, with the PDC choosing four other wildcard selections to complete the line-up.

And there is no place for 2023 world champion Smith after he endured a difficult season last time around.

Van Gerwen is joined by his fellow top four players Luke Humphries, Luke Littler and Rob Cross in the Premier League, with Stephen Bunting, Gerwyn Price, Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall chosen as the wildcard entries.

And the Dutchman told the tournament’s headline sponsor BetMGM: “It’s an incredibly difficult decision for the PDC to choose the line-up - I think they did well. It’s quite strong but it could have been a little bit stronger.

“I miss one good player, Michael Smith, but outside that it’s eight really good darts players and that’s what people want to see.

“Moving forward, we want to create an atmosphere too. It’s important to be a good player but it’s also how you come on stage and the show you put on. That’s all part of it. It’s very hard for the PDC to pick the line-up, but I still think they did well.”

Van Gerwen will open his Premier League campaign against Littler this evening after losing to the 18-year-old in the World Championship final last month.

The 35-year-old has won the competition a record seven times, with his most recent title success coming in 2023. He starts as the third favourite to win the title, with Littler leading the way ahead of Humphries.

PDC chief Matt Porter was quizzed about this year’s Premier League line-up during an appearance on Sky Sports last month. And he explained: “Obviously with Price, Dobey, and Aspinall, there are players above them in the rankings who haven't been selected.

“But we have looked at it in terms of big stage presence, popularity, and the way they can get a 10,000 crowd every Thursday going.

“We want people on the edge of their seats. We want people up and enjoying their darts. That isn't to say other players can't do that. You have to make decisions on who is right at the time.”