SMITH OPENS UP ON PREMIER LEAGUE SNUB

MICHAEL SMITH admits it feels like “no one even remembers my name” after missing out on a place in the Premier League this year. 

Former world champ Smith hasn’t lifted a title in 2025 and has only reached two semi-finals – at Players Championship 10 and 14.

St Helens thrower Smith’s season unravelled after a shock 3-2 defeat to Kevin Doets in the second round of the World Championship, a result that sent him crashing out of the world’s top 16 and wiped a massive £500,000 off his ranking.

Smith believes that one loss cost him his place among the sport’s elite. 

He told the Weekly Dartscast: “No, it’s people like you and other people who tell me where I’m ranked. I don’t really care as long as I’m competing and playing I’m not bothered. 

“I think it shows in darts, it doesn’t matter where you’re ranked — if you’re playing well you’re going to get invited to things and do everything. 

“I think if I would have beat Doets that year, I thought I would have been in the Premier League, especially because I’d been in every major, made a semi-final that year, had a final as well.  

“Just because I had one bad game, now no one even remembers my name.” 

Two-times major winner Smith has endured a nightmare spell after a run of injuries and struggles on the oche. 

World No. 28 Smith has failed to qualify for the World Grand Prix and World Matchplay this campaign but says he’s rediscovered the hunger to return to the top of the sport. 

He added: “I just need to get that hunger back, which the last two months it’s started to come back a bit.

“Sadly, it didn’t come back at the start of the year, but it’s started to come back now. 

“You can see my averages going up again around 95, 96, which means I’m about five points off competing properly, 10 points from winning. 

“It doesn’t sound much, but it does over big long formats. A couple more hours on the board, another injection in December on my wrist and shoulder — and I’ll be like, Tin, man, then going into the Worlds.

“I’ll be nice and loose and concentrate on having a good 2026.” 

Smith is determined to finish the year on a high, with his sights set on securing qualification for the Grand Slam before competing in the Players Championship Finals and at Ally Pally. 

He continued: “The main aim now is the last day in Wigan, Halloween, the qualifiers for the Grand Slam. 

“So I’ve got about three weeks of solid practice, picking up where I left off over the last month. 

“Then I’ve got Grand Slam, Players, and the Worlds — two of the three biggest tournaments of the year. 

“If I can put some good runs in there, get back inside the top 10, then my career is back on track — and everyone just forgets. 

“Because we have this conversation, I can go and win the Worlds and no one remembers I didn’t qualify for the Matchplay.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.