Overcoming struggles & Taylor's advice - Humphries seals triple crown

The joyousness connected Luke Humphries' look was location for each to see.

Less than 2 months connected from saying he felt "emotionless" connected nan oche owed to a relentless playing schedule that had made darts a "chore", nan world number 1 was afloat of emotions.

Having beaten Luke Littler to declare his maiden Premier League title, location was nary shortage of delight, restitution aliases alleviation connected show arsenic Humphries stood triumphant successful beforehand of a packed O2 Arena pinch tears glistening successful his eyes.

"It's astir erstwhile I had those struggles successful March," nan 30-year-old said.

"It felt difficult activity and everything you dedicate yourself for, it makes it worthwhile erstwhile you execute things for illustration this.

"It's affectional because you activity truthful hard, you're distant from location for truthful agelong to get them trophies. It intends nan world.

"I do judge I've sewage that intelligence strength. I said earlier, if I triumph nan title, I cognize I'll person won it by intelligence spot and belief. I consciousness for illustration that was nan case.

"In nan last I was 3-0 down and could easy person fto that gaffe distant from maine but I utilized intelligence spot to support myself successful nan game."

Humphries, who was world champion successful 2024, has antecedently reflected connected his emergence to nan apical of nan sport having had intelligence wellness challenges and worry astatine times successful his career. He considered quitting nan athletics aft 1 worry onslaught connected shape successful 2018.

But having flooded those struggles to adhd different awesome title to his tally, aft his astir caller victory, Humphries was already looking up to nan future.

"I'm still comparatively young successful nan crippled and I'm only a mates of titles distant from being perchance nan third-most successful darts player," he added.

"But erstwhile you scope 10 awesome titles, you're successful immoderate unseen territory truthful I'll support pushing. I want to get complete 10 truthful hopefully I tin do that successful nan adjacent mates of years."

In winning nan Premier League, Humphries became conscionable nan 4th subordinate to complete darts' triple crown - that besides includes nan World Championship and nan World Matchplay.

"It feels amazing. There are only 4 group who person done it truthful that makes it really, really special," he said.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: "I've joined an elite nine pinch Gary Anderson, Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen.

"I must opportunity to Phil Taylor a large 'thank you' because he's been giving maine a batch of support nan past fewer weeks. It's really helped maine truthful Phil if you are watching, convey you.

"He's fixed maine a batch of proposal and that other boost."

Humphries insisted nan proposal he received from 16-time world champion would enactment betwixt nan 2 of them but confirmed it was solely astir himself alternatively than immoderate of his rivals.

"He was telling maine worldly astir myself and conscionable believing successful me," Humphries said.

"When you get nan top darts subordinate successful nan world showing a spot of support and belief successful you, it makes you consciousness good."

Victory was besides payback for Humphries aft he lost past year's last to Littler arsenic their rivalry continues to grow.

Since first playing each different successful nan 2024 World Championship final, nan brace person faced disconnected a further 22 times pinch Littler claiming 13 wins to Humphries' 10.

They are nan 2 top-ranked players successful nan world and complete nan past 18 months, that has been abundantly clear.

When they are connected apical form, it feels arsenic if nan different is nan only subordinate who tin unrecorded pinch them.

Add successful nan consistency pinch which they are capable to scope that level and it is small wonderment nan Littler-Humphries rivalry is being talked astir arsenic 1 that could predominate darts for years to come.

"These 2 could person darts sewn up," Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle said.

"They are going to beryllium nan champion of nan darting world. Others are going to person to play really good to get nan amended of these two.

"If they person that hunger for four, five, six aliases moreover 10 years past personification is going to person to measurement up."

Asked if he felt that he and Littler would beryllium fighting it retired astatine nan apical for nan adjacent 10 aliases 15 years, Humphries was little convinced.

"The problem is, there's ever different personification who comes astir nan corner," he said.

"In 5 years' clip location could beryllium astir 10 players who are arsenic bully arsenic maine and Luke and it could beryllium a conflict betwixt america all.

"I'd emotion to opportunity complete nan adjacent 10 years we'll conflict it retired successful galore finals – and we astir apt will – but they'll astir apt beryllium a batch of different names progressive pinch us."

For nan clip being, though, Humphries and Littler person put immoderate region betwixt themselves and nan chasing pack.

But moreover aft 23 matches against each different successful specified a short abstraction of time, location is nary motion of familiarity breeding contempt conscionable yet.

"I emotion him. I deliberation he's a bully kid," Humphries said of his teenage competitor.

"He's a adjacent friend of excavation successful darts. He'll astir apt triumph overmuch much than I'll ever triumph successful my profession because he's young and he's a awesome talent.

"I'm conscionable happy erstwhile I nab 1 present and there. I said to him connected nan stage, I'm really happy to triumph this but I'm judge he'll get maine backmost plentifulness of times successful nan future.

"It's conscionable different last successful nan Luke and Luke saga."

The adjacent shape successful nan saga will spot nan rivals go team-mates arsenic they subordinate forces for England astatine June's World Cup of Darts successful Frankfurt.

"I cannot wait," Littler told Sky Sports. "He won it past twelvemonth truthful hopefully he tin lead maine to victory."

They should shape a formidable duo but it is only a matter of clip earlier they will beryllium battling it retired again connected nan oche successful a awesome tournament.

And adjacent clip it is Littler, alternatively than Humphries, who mightiness person a spot of revenge connected his mind.