Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, Jonny Clayton and Josh Rock will join Luke Littler, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries in the Premier League – ending any feint chance of Gary Anderson coming into the competition. Littler and Van Veen are the main faces of the 2026 line-up.
The two youngsters reached the final of the World Darts Championship, which was won convincingly by Littler. The World No. 1 won the Premier League in his first attempt, but was defeated by Humphries in the final last year. Van Veen, 23, will be making his debut in the gruelling 17-week competition, having shot up to No. 3 in the world with his run to the showpiece at Alexandra Palace. Humphries, as the defending champion and World No. 2 is also in there, as is the great Michael van Gerwen, the World No. 4 who has won the event seven times.
The aforenentioned quartet automatically qualified for the event as a result of being in the top four. However, the remaining four places are decided by the PDC.
Bunting was in the tournament last year and did not even win a match for the first eight weeks. He was also knocked out of the World Darts Championship by James Hurrell in the third round.
Meanwhile, Price’s inclusion may raise some eyebrows. While he did reach the semi-final of the Premier League last year, he enters the competition as the World No. 12 and having been whitewashed by Wesley Plaisier in the second round of the World Championship.
Clayton, who won the competition in 2021, will be a welcome entrant having reached No. 5 in the world. He was bumped out of the top four by Van Veen’s run to the final at Ally Pally.
In addition, World Cup of darts winner Rock will be competing in the Premier League for the first time. He shot up to No. 8 in the world and also reached the semi-finals of the World Matchplay, the UK Open, the World Series of Darts and the quarter-finals of the Players Championship finals.
It does mean there was no room for this year’s semi-finalist Ryan Searle, who moved up 12 places to No. 8. Netherlands star Danny Noppert would also be disappointed at not being included. He reached the semi-final of the Grand Slam of Darts, the World Grand Priz, the European Championship and the World Masters, as well as the semi-final of the World Cup of Darts.
Other big names to miss out include Nathan Aspinall, who got to the semi-finals last year but has since dropped down to No. 14. Less of a surprise, but a disappointment to many, is Anderson’s absence. He was one match away from breaking into the top three, but lost to Van Veen in the World Championship semi-final.
However, the Scot said time and again he did not want to play in the Premier League. Had there been any interest on his part, he would have surely been offered a wildcard pic.