HUMPHRIES DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER

LUKE HUMPHRIES has drawn inspiration from Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow as he battles his way back into Premier League play-off contention.

The world No.2 looked down and out for much of the campaign after spending weeks rooted near the foot of the table. 

But back-to-back nightly finals in Aberdeen and Leeds have reignited his hopes of reaching Finals Night. 

Cool Hand has transformed his form after slowing his throw down, a tweak that has helped him average over a ton in four of his last six matches, with only Luke Littler getting the better of him in that spell. 

The former world champ now sits two points ahead of Michael van Gerwen in fourth place with just two nights of the regular season remaining. 

Humphries admits he admires Darlow’s resilience after the keeper fought his way back into the Leeds side. 

He said: “It would be Karl Darlow. For the reason that he was knocked down, wasn’t in the team and he worked as hard as he could to get back into the team. 

“He proved how good a goalkeeper he actually is and now I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a starting keeper next year. 

“I wouldn’t be unhappy with that. Sometimes you are sitting on the bench and, for me, in the Premier League it is not going well. 

“You fight hard, you get your place back where you rightly deserve and take full advantage. 

“If anybody, I would compare it to Karl Darlow.” 

Humphries believes successfully defending his title after spending most of the campaign on the ropes would mean even more than last year’s triumph. 

He added: “I think it would mean more. If I qualify, which I still feel like I can, when I get to Finals Night you kind of get a sense that it is a free run. 

“I probably have not been expected to qualify every week for all 15 weeks. You get in on the 16th week and then it is a free run. 

“So this title would eclipse last year’s, to be fair.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.