James Wade has issued a strong statement after being overlooked for the 2026 Premier League Darts.
On Monday afternoon, just two days after Luke Littler defended his PDC World Darts Championship crown, the line-up for the latest Premier League was confirmed.
Joining Littler in the tournament that will run for 17 weeks will be Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock.
Speaking about Bunting's inclusion, Sky Sports pundit and former darts star Wayne Mardle said: "I'm slightly surprised at Stephen Bunting. He's had a decent enough year but not as good as some in my opinion.
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"He can consider himself a little fortunate. He played OK in the Premier League last year but results didn't go well, especially for the first eight weeks when he didn't win a game. You can't argue with any of them in terms of their ability and what they are capable of but Bunting will be the one who will breathe a huge sigh of relief."
The likes of Wade, Danny Noppert, Ryan Searle, Rob Cross and Nathan Aspinall were all said to be in contention but ultimately missed out.
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Taking to social media, Wade has now issued a statement after being snubbed by the PDC.
He wrote on X: "Hard work pays off… really? Disappointed, but proud of the work I put in this year chasing one goal getting back to the Premier League. Missing out hurts, but that’s part of the journey.
"I trusted my performances in the big moments, two major finals and two major quarter-finals and I’ll keep backing that process. Back to work now. 2026, I’ll be ready. James."
During the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace in London, Wade suffered a shock exit in the second round when he was beaten by Ricky Evans.
Topics: Darts
Marcus Chan