Welsh Pair Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton Backed as Right Picks for Premier League

The Welsh pair were confirmed among the eight players selected for the weekly competition, which begins on February 5 in Newcastle, alongside world number one Luke Littler, world number two Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Gian van Veen, Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting. 

Nathan Aspinall, Chris Dobey and Rob Cross have all missed out on this year’s event.

While the inclusion of Littler, Humphries, Van Veen and Van Gerwen was automatic as the top four in the world rankings, the decision to include Price and Clayton as wildcards has generated discussion.

READ MORE: Gerwyn Price Crashes Out of World Champs to Dutch Debut Man

It was made more controversial since Danny Noppert was overlooked despite a strong year on the major stage and a 10th place standing in the rankings, two ahead of Price.

For Mardle, however, the value of the two Welshmen in the Premier League format was clear.

“He's had a better year than some of the players in it,” said Mardle of Noppert.

“But, you know what you're getting from Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton, you know what you're getting in a Premier League, you don't know what you're getting from Danny Noppert.

“You know you're going to get someone who's ultra-consistent, but is he someone that engages with the crowd? Could he become that person? 

“Could he be someone that people switch their TV on to watch him?”

READ MORE: Gerwyn Price Eases Through But Insists: I Need to be Better to Win

Despite being ranked 12th in the world, Price has once again been handed a place in the elite field. 

His 2025 season included success away from the biggest televised stages, but an early exit at the World Darts Championship, coupled with the prize money on offer at Alexandra Palace, saw him slide down the rankings.

Even so, Price remains one of the sport’s most recognisable and divisive figures. 

READ MORE: Fires Still Burning Brightly For Iceman Gerwyn Price

A former world champion, he brings intensity and edge to the oche and finished third in the 2025 Premier League, reaching finals night at the O2 Arena.

During the round-robin phase he also hit two nine-darters, underlining his ability to deliver moments that resonate beyond results alone.

While some have questioned whether his television performances last year fully justified selection – particularly after a second-round defeat to Wesley Plaisier at the Worlds – Price’s run to the semi-finals of both the Premier League and the Grand Slam of Darts, along with a last-four appearance at the Players Championship Finals, strengthened his case.

Clayton, meanwhile, continues to be regarded as one of the most reliable performers in the game, with his calm stage presence and consistency seen as a good fit for the relentless Premier League schedule.

Mardle also addressed the make-up of the field more broadly, including the selection of Stephen Bunting, who finished bottom of last year’s Premier League table.

“I think that's a fortunate pick for Stephen. We know he was world No 4 going into the Worlds, now he's out of it. It would have been a tough pill for him to swallow if he was left out,” he said.

“But, again, I think he will be the one that will breathe a sigh of relief because he didn't play poorly last year, it just took him eight weeks to get a win.

“Over the short format, you'd have thought that no-one would lose eight games on the bounce. He did, and he didn't get out of last position. He ended up rallying, to be fair, he rallied and still finished bottom.”

Mardle acknowledged that leaving Noppert out after what he described as an “amazing” year would be difficult to accept, adding: “I think it's a bitter pill to swallow for Noppert.”

Elsewhere, Josh Rock has been rewarded with a debut Premier League spot after a breakthrough year that saw him win the World Cup of Darts alongside Daryl Gurney and reach the semi-finals of both the UK Open and World Matchplay. 

Rock and the World Championship runner-up Van Veen will be the two newcomers to the competition.

Mardle believes the Northern Irishman’s temperament suits the challenge.

“He's on the up and he's consistently playing well. We've seen him in the past that debutants have done alright,” he said.

“Josh is one of those players that will relish it. He's a fiery character and he seems to thrives on the competition. The Premier League is all that - it's the big stage, it's competition, it's relentless.

“But Josh has got this newness still to him. I don't see it being an issue one bit. I think he'll do really well.”

Full Premier League Darts line-up

This is how the full line-up will look when the competition gets going in February:
•    Luke Littler
•    Luke Humphries
•    Gian van Veen
•    Michael van Gerwen
•    Josh Rock
•    Gerwyn Price
•    Stephen Bunting
•    Jonny Clayton