Luke Humphries celebrated his first Premier League Darts title victory by crediting Phil Taylor's recent support and expressing deep satisfaction at completing what he considers darts' most challenging collection of titles.
"This one means the world to me, that was the one I was missing. It was the one I wanted, I have done it now," said Humphries after defeating Luke Littler in the final to earn £275,000.
The world number one added: "If I don't win another title, I am happy as I have done the three hardest ones to do."
Humphries specifically thanked Phil Taylor, saying: "Phil Taylor has given me a lot of support over the last couple of weeks so, Phil, if you are watching, thank you. He gave me a lot of advice and that extra support."
Luke Humphries credited Phil Taylor for his win over Luke Littler in the Premier League final
Reuters
Meanwhile, Littler vowed to return stronger, stating: "I'll be back next year. I've set many records, personally I don't think they'll be broken because I'm going to try and go next year and break my own records."
Luke Humphries avenged his defeat to Luke Littler in last year's Premier League Darts final to claim the title for the first time. 'Cool Hand' saw off Nathan Aspinall in a tough semi-final before outclassing the reigning world champion in the showpiece clash.
The victory secured Humphries a mega £275,000 payday and completed his collection of major darts titles.
Having lost to Littler in the previous year's final, the triumph represented sweet revenge for the world number one.
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Luke Humphries and Luke Littler have huge respect for one another
Reuters
The Premier League title had been the missing piece in Humphries' trophy cabinet, with the victory now giving him what he describes as darts' three most challenging titles.
Littler had dominated the regular season after winning six of the 16 weekly events. He claimed 27 match victories to finish 11 points ahead of second-place Humphries at the top of the standings.
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Nathan Aspinall and Gerwyn Price also joined them in the top four to qualify for the play-offs. Despite his commanding regular season performance, those points counted for nothing in the final.
Littler acknowledged the disappointment but remained philosophical about the defeat.
Luke Humphries has finally won the Premier League
Reuters
"No one likes losing. I'm fine. Glad it's over... it's been a tough 17 weeks," he said.
The 17-year-old's dominance throughout the campaign had made him the favourite heading into the final, but Humphries' experience proved decisive when it mattered most.
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