torture

By Phil Lanning

JAMES WADE admits he has been “tortured” by not hugging his little boy after shock call-up into the Unibet Premier League.

The 10-times TV major winner has been out of sorts since being given a place following the last gasp failed Covid-19 test for World Champion Gerwyn Price on Monday morning.

But Wade, 38, finally got his top four bid back on track with a win over Michael van Gerwen before revealing his secret heartbreak.

He said: “If I’m honest, people use excuses and I have in the past, I’ve probably struggled more this block section. I just keep obsessing that I didn’t give my two-year-old boy Arthur – and I know it sounds really silly – a proper hug and kiss before I left.

“He was too busy watching Blue’s Clues. But I just said ‘I’ll see you tomorrow morning’. I’ve tortured myself the whole time that why I didn’t give him a little hug and my wife a hug and kiss.

“It’s really stupid and trivial. I was so annoyed at myself. I never used to feel like that but maybe I’m just going a little bit soft and in touch with my emotions. I felt really crap.

“I spoke to him – well he acknowledged me today – on FaceTime and it made me feel a lot better. But I will never ever leave home again and not give my little boy a cuddle. And my wife as well!”

Wade says he’s been “awful” since a whirlwind 24 hours when he went from reserve to contender for a second Premier title.

He added: “It’s no secret I didn’t play amazing. I did enough to prevail. The most frustrating thing is how disconnected I’ve been from the previous two games. 

“If I’m honest it’s because I didn’t think I’d be here. I’ve been doing a lot of manual work at home, that’s what I enjoy doing, I thought I’d come here get my appearance money and just shoot back home.

“Then I got a phone call at 9am and I was told ‘you’re in’. Wow, what do I do? I hadn’t prepared mentally or darts-wise. It was a big shock.

“After two or three days it just started to sink in. I thought that 95 per cent of the Covid tests had been get here at 11am and by 7 or 8pm you had your results.

“I was waiting at 7.30am thinking ‘hurry up’ I want to go home. All of a sudden I get told that they can’t tell me who has failed a test but I’m in.

“Automatically I knew who had failed which was strange. Not that there is a conspiracy. I had a feeling and when I did find out I told my management I just knew it was Gerwyn. Ironic.

“I don’t feel I’m filling the boots of the World Champion or the crowd favourite. For two of the nights I’ve been bloody awful. I’ll keep digging in.”

Images by Taylor Lanning.