NIJMAN ADMITS PREMIER LEAGUE DREAM IS STILL TOO SOON
01/06/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
WESSEL NIJMAN says Premier League selection is still a “dream” despite his remarkable season.
The Dutch sensation has taken the ProTour by storm in 2026, winning a staggering five Players Championship titles and establishing himself as one of the sport’s most in-form stars.
The 25-year-old also claimed his maiden European Tour crown earlier this year, thrashing Gerwyn Price 8-3 in the final of the European Darts Trophy.
But Nijman believes talk of a place in the weekly roadshow may be premature.
He told the Weekly Dartscast: “Obviously, I’m on social media as well and I see a lot of people mentioning my name at the Premier League.
“I think it’s a bit early for that. But yeah, I would say it’s more like a dream than it is a goal this year.
“I would love to play Premier League. I mean, who doesn’t?
“But it’s maybe a bit early to put me in the Premier League right now.”
The world No.16 may still need to prove himself on the big stage, having yet to reach a major quarter-final.
Nijman has also opted to play without a nickname, although there have been calls for him to adopt “WesselMania” — a nod to WWE’s flagship event, WrestleMania.
He replied: “Well, it’s working out without a nickname now. So maybe never change it when it’s right.”
Nijman quit his day job in December and believes the decision has fuelled his stunning rise, allowing him to focus solely on darts.
He continued: “I think it was last summer. And then I talked it over at home, and I had just bought a house. So, the base was pretty solid, and then you can make big decisions like that.
“Then I had a good chat with my boss. I said, ‘When the World Championship starts this year, I want to stop working.’ Well, actually it was the 1st of December.
“Then I’ve always had a good relationship with my boss. He always gave me leave when I had to go and play darts.
“Even now he says, ‘If there’s one day you want to come back and work for us again, you can start tomorrow if you want to.’
“I can do a shout-out to Dave and Matt, my old bosses. They were always really good for me.
“That’s obviously been a great base for me as well to perform like I do nowadays.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
