- Mike De Decker missed the prestigious eight-man tournament this year
- His snub came even though he won the Grand Prix after beating Luke Humphries.
- De Decker lashed out at the decision and believes he should have been selected
Darts star Mike De Decker has hit out at his shock Premier League snub, branding the decision to overlook him “scandalous” and “bullshit”.
De Decker, the reigning Grand Prix champion, missed the cut for this year's prestigious eight-man tournament despite winning his first major television title in 2024.
The 29-year-old rose to 24th in the world rankings after an uneven year on the circuit, having also been eliminated in the opening rounds of the World Championship, the European Championship and the Grand Slam of Darts.
But he became the first player in the Premier League's 20-year history to miss out despite winning a major televised on Sky Sports.
De Decker, nicknamed “The Real Deal”, reacted furiously at the omission and claimed that the rivals selected before him “didn't deserve it”.
“To be honest, I find their decision a little scandalous,” he said. The Newspaper.
Darts star Mike De Decker has reacted furiously to his surprise Premier League snub
De Decker won the Grand Prix but missed the cut for the prestigious eight-man tournament
Luke Littler will look to defend his crown when the competition begins in Belfast next month.
PDC chief executive Matt Porter declared that De Decker was “not quite ready” for the Premier League, a verdict with which the Belgian vehemently disagrees.
“I didn't think that explanation was fair,” De Decker added. 'After my Grand Prix victory, I said maybe I wasn't ready and I don't regret it. But then I confirmed in other tournaments that I can compete with the best in the world.
'Only in the World Championship it didn't work. Shit and a shame it happened then, but still. I feel prepared.'
Nathan Aspinall and Gerwyn Price were controversially chosen ahead of De Decker, a decision that sparked backlash on social media.
“They didn't deserve it,” De Decker said, pointing to both players. 'Suddenly they reach the quarterfinals at the World Championship and they are there.
“Aspinall is there with his companion purely for entertainment and if Price performs poorly in the first few weeks, he will start complaining again. They say you get into the Premier League based on results, but apparently that's not the case.”
Explaining De Decker's absence, Porter added: “We've seen players in the past, I don't want to embarrass them by naming them, but players like Danny Noppert, Ross Smith and Andrew Gilding who have won television tournaments.”
'But you have to show that you can compete regularly in the later stages of television tournaments.
Nathan Aspinall given the nod after reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championship
Gerwyn Price was another controversial choice despite his mixed year on the circuit
World number one Luke Humphries will headline the Premier League action alongside Littler.
“Doing it once is great and something you'll always have, but to really be part of the elite, you have to do it regularly for several years.”
Reigning Premier League champion Luke Littler, still enjoying his impressive World Championship triumph at Alexandra Palace earlier this month, was joined by world number one Luke Humphries in the popular competition.
Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Price, Stephen Bunting, Aspinall and Chris Dobey make up the rest of the line-up, with the masterpiece starting in Belfast on February 6.