Gerwyn Price has fired back at Mike De Decker. (Image: Getty)
Darts star has bluntly hit back at Mike De Decker after the Belgian player complained about not being included in this season’s Premier League line-up. ‘The Ice Man’ retained his place in the eight-man roster, despite failing to win an event in the 2024 version and languishing down in seventh in the standings.
The inclusion of Nathan Aspinall also raised eyebrows after his indifferent year in 2024.
And the outspoken De Decker and labelled his own omission “scandalous,” accusing organisers of ignoring form.
“They say that you get into the Premier League based on results, but apparently that is not the case,” he said of the reigning Grand Prix champion. “Aspinall is there with his walk-on purely for the entertainment and if Price performs badly in the first few weeks, he will start complaining again.”
Dave Chisnall also questioned Price being included, and the Welshman has now warned that moaning about decisions won’t change anything. “I mean every player, Dave Chisnall, Mike De Decker, they always have their opinions,” he told talkSPORT.
“They are right to have a say, but the PDC put in who they want to put in. I think the likes of me and Nathan Aspinall have been consistent for the last eight or nine years throughout the PDC, not just the Premier League.
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Mike De Decker was seething after the Premier League line-up was announced. (Image: Getty)
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“I had a blip (in 2024), and Nathan being injured, not being involved would have been a little bit harsh I think. Each to their own, I think winning one tournament or doing well in one event doesn’t really get you a ticket to get in.”
And in a brutal swipe at De Decker, he added: “There’s a couple of boys who have won majors and haven’t got in, so throwing your toys out of the pram doesn’t really work.”
It’s not just the Premier League line-up that De Decker has been scathing about. He’s also likely to have upset chiefs by snubbing an invite to this weekend’s Dutch Masters tournament, citing family commitments, .
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“The World Series is not a tournament I was looking forward to anyway, and certainly not the one in the Netherlands,” he said. “If you get invited, then you want to go to Bahrain or Australia. At least those are nice countries. Of all the places where those tournaments are, you don’t want to be invited to Den Bosch.”
De Decker also criticised the prize fund, which will be £100,000 for the 16 players involved. The winner takes home £30,000, with going in as the defending champion.