HUMPHRIES REGRETS BEING HONEST

By Phil Lanning

LUKE HUMPHRIES says he was told by social media haters to “get a real job” and regrets being honest. 

The World No.1 delivered a third Premier League night win on his Leeds homecoming, beating Luke Littler 6-5 in the final on Thursday night. 

It was Cool Hand’s seventh final of the season and also confirmed his place in the play-offs at the O2 later this month. 

But he admits that opening up about being tired and “emotionless” at the International Darts Open a month ago backfired. 

He said: “I just said how I felt to be honest. I felt a little bit tired, a little bit like I was doing too much for my own self. You learn from these experiences. 

“There’s no good looking into the negativity. I know I said what I said. Sometimes it never does you good to be honest. Because it always comes back to bite you in the bum. 

“I just felt like I was being honest. I didn’t really expect that reaction from it. 

“Everyone reacted like ‘you need to get a real job’. I’ve had that, I had six years on a roof. I know what it feels like to have a proper job and this does feel harder to be honest. 

“It’s the travelling and being away from your family. But also very privileged to do what I do.

“Next year when I’m playing in the Premier League I want to make sure that I give myself more time. 

“Maybe miss a few exhibitions than I usually do, miss a few more Pro Tours, all this type of stuff. 

“You’re learning every year. There’s nothing wrong with being a bit tired. 

“I’ve had a bit of time off now, spent time with my family. Of course I feel more rejuvenated. I look forward to coming to darts now. You have to do that.”

Humphries also dismissed talk that the big names face each other too often in the Premier League. He beat Littler in the final in Leeds and now goes head-to-head again in Aberdeen next week. 

That will be the seventh clash between the pair in just over three months.  

He added: “I think it all depends on what you wanna see. Do you wanna see the best players in the world playing against each other, or do you not want to wait six months for it? That’s, that’s the argument.

“I think a lot of people say, oh, it gets boring. But I tell you what I love watching the two best sportsmen in the world going against each other, to be honest, in other sports.

“You watch boxing, and you see Eubank Jr and Benn, what a fight that was, do I wanna see that 20 times? Yeah, I would, ‘cause it was a great fight, you know, I wouldn’t want to go and see them fight against other people that weren’t as good because it wouldn’t be as fun.

“Hopefully, in my opinion, I want to see him in the Premier League final as well, because I just love playing against him.

“No disrespect to anyone else, but when you are playing against him, you have to be at your best. If you’re not, you’ll get beaten. It gets you out of bed and makes you want to play better. I enjoy it more than any other game of darts.”