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Nathan Aspinall on Luke Littler, Marcus Rashford, Erik ten Hag and fearing his Darts career was over
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Welcome to the Manchester is RED Podcast, the Manchester United podcast from the Manchester Evening News.
The twice-weekly show features Chief Manchester United writer Samuel Luckhurst, Senior Manchester United writer Rich Fay, Senior Football writer Tyrone Marshall and is typically hosted by Manchester United reporter Steven Railston.
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0:00 Intro
0:19 Man Utd 4-3 Liverpool
02:12 Quickfire questions
03:06 Following Manchester United and Stockport County
06:24 Nathan Aspinall on Marcus Rashford
07:43 Nathan Aspinall on Erik ten Hag
09:15 Nathan Aspinall’s football career
11:23 Choosing a career in Darts
11:40 Relationship with Luke Littler and Chris Dobey
16:33 Moving out of Stockport
18:16 “Jack Grealish of Darts” label
20:54 Nathan’s Darts career
22:46 Disappointment of 2024 World Darts Championship exit
23:48 Nathan’s form this season
24:55 Hating his walk-on song: Mr. Brightside
27:09 A typical week for Nathan Aspinall
28:55 Passing time when on tour
29:46 PDC Premier League darts in Manchester
31:18 Being booed in Australia
33:01 Darts nicknames
33:56 Luke Littler
38:01 Nathan’s 2019 World Darts Championship debut
40:48 Career highs and lows
43:21 World Matchplay in July – Reigning champion
45:39 Outro
They just started on me and I turned around at first kind of having come on as a bit of a joke they didn’t take it as a joke wow I swear down like I think he’s like 30 guys waiting for me outside To Welcome to the Manchester is red podcast my name is Steven raon and for today’s episode it’s a very special episode because I’m joined by world number four and huge Manchester United fan Nathan aspal Nathan pleasure to have you here first of all how are you and did you watch Manchester United 4
Liverpool 3 on Sunday afterno so yeah very well thank you for asking but yeah what a game Thursday um Thursday Sunday Sunday yeah I was in I was in uh Scotland doing exhibition so made sure I got back in time and yeah unbelievable performance about time in it let’s be
Hon it is it is it’s not been a fantastic season but they needed that didn’t they you were just saying before came on a you don’t really get a chance to watch his as many games as maybe you did in the past now cuz you are just so
Busy yeah um before the darts took off I was watching games you know Home and Away midweek weekend went quite a lot but because of the darts he kind of takes over your life so yeah unfortunately I don’t get to watch as much as I’d like but there’s a few big
United fans at the darts obviously Luke Joe and Smithy so when we’re in the practice room if it’s like an afternoon game we’ll always have it on and but unfortunately don’t get to go that often anymore you just say before as we said we came on there you had a season ticket
As well didn’t you I think your manager yeah so I had one years and years ago with my dad in a stretford end um and we actually got rid of it the year that Fergie went probably the best decision I ever did deadly Hest year um but yeah
Then obviously Martin the manager he had one and we used to go a few times when we could like I say when we had time off but you know he very quickly learned that he was wasting his money because he was never there so uh yeah we got rid of
It and uh yeah have not been for what 18 months two years now I don’t think I’ve been for but um hopefully I’ll find a weekend uh soon you’re going to be invited back after this podcast we were just talking about appearance it feels right um to break
The ice then we’ll we’ll start off with some quick fire questions if that’s okay they like to clip these up and put them on social media so no pressure we’ll start off by your favorite film of all time my favorite film of all time um well there’s two really sha Shank
Redemption good CH and The Lion King very controversial what The Lion King I love The Lion King your favorite band or singer Eminem good sh as well um your death row meal or your last meal on Earth it will be steak and chips with a rocker for sauce how would you like the
Steti medium rare good job as well um if you hadn’t been a sportsman what would you have been the only thing I was good out at school was maths so um before obviously went d i was an accountant so a boring answer but I’ll be an accountant we’ll get into that cuz I
Didn’t actually realize account my producer told me that um and lastly your favorite type of cheese um ston good very nice um we’ll just start off you obviously from Stockport but you support United how did that happen because I imagine a lot of City fans or
Was there a lot of City fans around there yeah there’s more City fans in in stockportland United but obviously you inherited don’t you you know my dad was a United fan um yeah and I always went went all Trafford instead of Edy park I think as the times we’ve moved on on um
I’ve been doing a lot with with Stockport and I’ve been to Stockport quite a few times a lot of my mates growing up were massive Die Hard County fans so um is a bit more of a a family effect shall we say at Stockport um but
Yeah the two I’m from Stockport I love go watching C I hope want them to to do as well as I can but you know primarily I am a red and your earliest memories then can you remember people always ask can you remember your first game I can’t
Personally remember mine do you remember your first game yeah I hear putting people on the spot with that one no um obviously remember the trouble in 9 was that was my that was probably the first time the oldest memory that I have and obviously um the the vesar save at time
Um was class but they’re probably the two biggest biggest well oldest memories that I have of of United but presumably you said you got ready season ticket in 2013 so you saw some fantastic games some huge trophy win yeah um anything that stands out I mean some great players way Rooney Ronaldo
Watching them each week Ronaldo was a one I’m a massive Ronaldo fan um even when he left you know obviously all the United fans were asking him for him to go I didn’t want him to go you know I absolutely he’s May Idol Ronaldo deadly
Honest with you so when he came back it worked fantastic because like I said Martin then got these season tickets and the first game he went was he scored the hattick against Newcastle first game back and yeah what an atmosphere just a VI of Ronaldo going around the stadium
Was was Unreal and yeah I think you get to you know go and see people like him um obviously like you roonies and stuff like that um just amazing amazing moments can’t really remember the games if I’m going to be deadly honesty because long time ago I’ve had a lot of
Sleep since then but um yeah amazing amazing experience with Old Trafford everything felt possible in that game Ronaldo returned it was a special atmosphere and he scored and people thought United going to go and win the Premier League yeah yeah it had to happen though didn’t it obviously the
You know everything around Ronaldo what he did before he left then when he came back everyone knew that day something special was going to happen and you know I think it was about 10 minutes in he scored was it or something um it was inevitable he was going to get an out to
It but I remember that was a great day terms of this season then I know you said you can’t exactly watch every game but what have you thought of it it’s not been pretty at times has it no that’s why I don’t watch it um but n it’s I
Don’t know they’re so up and down aren’t they um yeah yeah I don’t really know what to say he should last season was fantastic obviously top four trophy 10 AR fantastic first year and it just seems so inconsistent don’t they like you say in and out some games they can
Turn it on and then next week they’ll lose yeah I think the I ever been like getting a goal early and then sitting backing you know bit like in England is it really you know what I mean but uh from what I’ve seen it just not there’s
No um will to win personally from dead people don’t look like the care if deadly honestly that’s that’s what I see from it you know certainly like like rashford you know he looked a bit different I felt the weekend but it just doesn’t look like he’s bothered you know
There’s so many players that just look like they’re getting a salary and that’s it um which isn’t United you know you play you play for that sh it’s a massive Club but yeah times have changed aren’t they I think fan opinion is definitely turning on rashford which is it’s a
Shame to see because he’s almost the poorer boy of the club born in w shaw came through the academy obviously fantastic player but again he’s just so frustrating and inconsistent could you see him maybe leaving the club in the summer or would you like him to stay and
Push on I don’t know you looked at weekend how many chances did he miss you know that he should have scored the last kick of the game last kick of the game that probably confidence maybe yeah he probably knows that the fans have had enough of him at the moment but it’s up
Up to him now to to prove that he you know deserves that shirt and deserves to beat United and at the moment he doesn’t um but you know time will tell Will he go I don’t think he will um should he go probably but um yeah we’ll see what
Happens I just can’t imagine him not wearing a Manchester United [ __ ] yeah but he’s only young though in he so he um you know maybe he might go out to Europe somewhere PSG might be calling I think yeah and where’ you stand on Eric tag then because as we’ve said results
Haven’t been great this season I like him because I think he gets he’s not like a Yes Man how we dealt with the Ronaldo situation and stuff like that um I think he’s a very strong character and I think that’s what United need I think everyone with ad
Since Fergie and that type of manager I like him but he still needs to do a lot more to to win a lot of the fans over in my opinion where does he stand then among the managers poster Alex Ferguson obviously van gal David M for example
Jose Mourinho where would you rank him among those um that’s been a conversation this season after the results have kind of slipped and and people have kind of suggested where should he be among those managers well you got to look at the results you know last four
Last four top four last year so surely that speaks volumes compared to the last 10 12 years um yeah put you’d probably have to put him in the top three wouldn’t you um would Mourinho be at the top I don’t know number number two I don’t know
Um I don’t really know certainly van gal’s not there is he well give me re top top and we’ll put 10 second for now but again he’s still got a lot a lot work to do um I know there was a lot of kids playing at the moment how good was
He by the way I’m it was fantastic fantastic yeah but even when he came on I thought he was great to be fair so um obviously got lot of young Lads now so I think give him time give him another season or two and see what happens and
You were footballer yourself we just talking about a bit of context on that I was a goalkeeper well I was a center mid at the start um and then I kind of got pushed further and further back and end up being a goalkeeper so um I love I
Love my football I miss it so much because obviously I can’t being a goalkeeper I can’t play you know these are me B and butter these what make me make me money so um yeah I played for uh had trials at Stockport County when I
Was very young um and then I got offered from being at Stockport I got offered a contract at Rangers and but back then I think it was like 10 11 my family had to move to Scotland yeah you never know you know who knows you know what could have
Happened um but you know I think at 10 and 11 it’s it was too much of a commitment for the family so we turned it down and I ended up being at the the United goalkeeping Academy so the coaches were uh Ron Healey I’m not sure
You heard of Ron Healey Ron Healey and his son Scott Healey they were my two main coaches uh absolutely loved it never played for United never got the chance to you know to train with the team or anything of that nature but um yeah it was every every Saturday Sunday
Used to train I used to play like um called inter County in stock I’m not sure if you know that but in County played for my local team hillgate boys and yeah loved it um but unfortunately got the leas when I was like 15 cuz I was too small ironically got released
Had a massive grow SP but it was too late the damage was done and I played a bit for cheel toown before I finally retired at 17 but yeah we uh I played for cheel which is like Semi-Pro level um played a few games for the first and um yeah
Story is basically played played in the I think it was like the final FA Cup qualifying round or something like that and it we was fre all last minute goalkeeper oneon-one came out gave a pen away didn’t save the pen Lads were best pleas with me shall we say so they um
Yeah smash the change your room up what are you doing this that and the other I just like that’s it three gloves in a bin never played since goalkeeper gloves in the bin you pick up the dots you obviously went into accountancy as well fantastic creat to prepare you for Dots
I suppose cuz numbers yeah that the only thing I was good at school you know I wouldn’t say I was thick but uh I just didn’t enjoy many subjects at school apart from maths and PE um you know I did me PE G on the golf course you know
What I mean so um all I did was play sport and and do math so um iy was the the easy option really and um yeah I loved it did aat uh had a fantastic job I’ve had a couple of fantastic companies that I’ve worked for before obviously
The darts um and I was trying to mix the two and it was it was so hard it was like I’m I’m tipping up I’m on the pro tour working trying to beat your vanu and your your peter right your G prices when they’ve been practicing all week
And I’ve been working it’s so hard and getting to that position to be able to do it fulltime is key so what was your lifestyle like about then were you working yeah coming over playing Dart I I actually worked in a place called mold as well North Wales so when
I first started I used to have to get up at 7:00 leave me house at half 7 get to mold start work at 9:00 finish work at 5:00 go and get like a burger or some stay in the office 6:00 till 9:00 doing night school uh get home for quarter to
10 play a bit of darts and did that for 12 months were you busier then do you think than you are now you have more fre it was but you know people when people always ask you like I’m do practice and stuff like not that much anymore I did all the hard
Work back then to get where I’m at um and then I left that job started having a work for a company called s brro in Berry they they made like Disney toys work for the Cy firm there and they were fantastic with me as soon as it was
Getting better and better he always dropped there and they enabled me to go parttime bit of a sponsor deal and uh yeah they they were fantastic supporting me in the early part of my career but something I had to give because I was I was doing okay but I wasn’t just getting
To that you know I might win one or two games on on a pro tour but then I get beat because I just didn’t have that consistency because I was tired or was practicing or whatever and uh you know I blow smoke up his bum my manager came
And you know enabled me to quit my job uh he got me the sponsorship that I needed for enable me to go full time and as I say the rest is history we’ve had a fantastic what seven years together now you know we’ve won three TV tour two
Majors got knows how many pro tours and we’re in the top four in the world so you know I think between me and Martin the relationship that we’ve had has been fantastic he’s enabled me to quit the job I’ve come on board we’ve work well together and now he’s got a fantastic
Stable you know we signed an all right kid at the moment in ller he not bad is he he’s not bad is he signed him last year and look what he’s doing he’s got Dolby Andy Bolton so yeah we got a fantastic team behind us now could you
Tell us a story about you hitting your first n because I’ve been informed have you seen this you I’ve been told you misses you come few yeah so we’ve been out and uh yeah as you do your misses at 3: in the morning when when you both had a
Drink let’s have a game of darts love you know and uh that’s what we did we we we had a board in the B room just started playing darts and this is honestly God it’s no word of a lie I literally picked him up I went 18 181
18141 no lie that’s true not sh Murphy that was actually true that happened but uh yeah unbelievable that was the first one ever done I never forgot what was your reaction then because Charlie you just think surely now we can go to best oh yeah more bombs at that
Point no it was good it was uh I don’t know remember where we’ve been but I just remember getting in let s a game of DS and is a m Miss think she’s really good when she wears the blue pajamas don’t know why so she like yeah we put
Pajamas on and we’ll have a game so he comes down in the blue pajamas and uh I pinged a nine against her and uh that was it good night did you train in the immigration in stockall back then or do you still going now and are you a
Celebrity now in did you call the Emy there before you yeah see it’s a sore subject really cuz they keep having me to go in and I just don’t go in um you are busy to be yeah I am but I moved out of Stockport as well now that makes it
Tougher um but yeah fantastic times in the EM you know growing up he have such a laughing there you know what I mean and even when the the darts first started the support they gave me there’s a load of pubs in stockbot the Emy starving G uh the
Finger post which is where we actually did start m d the finger post it’s not a food place Actually I don’t even play but um yeah fantastic memories of of the of the boozers in Stockport and the support they show me now you know these big signs every time I’m playing in a
Big game com and watch the ASP Live and yeah the people send me videos all the time with all in me shirt watching it and there’s a few there’s the guard in his arms they’ve got like a picture of me and F Phil fom obviously he’s like a
Stock ball L as well um on the like the bar massive picture most pubs in Stockport I’ve got my head somewhere on there so yeah it’s great to get the support from obviously your local your local area can you go anywhere in Stockport someone asking you pretty bad
That’s why I moved him deadly honest with you it was it was getting to the point where again Dart ISS has been getting bigger and bigger since I’ve started while you know seven years ago it wasn’t it was getting there but nothing like it is now and you know over
The last two or three years I think once you get the Premier League yeah is a whole new level um if you’re top 20 top 25 people who watch DS know you are if you’re in the Premier League people who like sport know who you are and just
Anyone so yeah the popularity was going through the roof and it’s nice but when you go in ASDA for a food shop when you got like half a day off and it’s taking you four hours you know got kids yeah that was other thing as well people were
Stopping me when I was going out for food with my kids and my misses and that and you know time times I like just leave me alone you I guess it’s the side of thing people don’t really understand and football has obviously have it really heavily but it gets to that point
In darts now where you guys are really high profile yeah and I think it’s all about the protection now the players you know I think Dart players are so so easily contactable compared to any other Sportsman and I think that’s because of the way darts has always been but now
We’re not just you know P players who drink loads of beer and smoke and play darts you know we’re actually athletes now and we have the things that we have to do to keep ourselves fresh so every now we can go on there and perform at
Our best it’s it’s tough so yeah I think um he’s getting to that obviously it’s nowhere near the football standard but you know I even went Jamaica last year I thought we go no one going to nor in Jamaica gets up for playing oh na a pit
On the beach asking for aelf so some big Jamaican guy yeah um I was reading an interview before you came to day and you called yourself the Jack rudish darts could you give us that an insight into that is that CU you like a drink or you personally of course you say anything
This I just love a drink basically I’m a I’m a party animal um you know it probably me manager pet ha he wants me to be more professional and stop going out drinking till the early hours but just do I am you know I’ve got a fantastic circle of friends um the these
Me me and Kirsty and these two other about three other couples that you know we F Fe together we always go out together and the problem with me is once I start I can’t stop that’s what I say about the Jack G is you know I’ll go out
And I’ll be like 6 7:00 in the morning by the time I get back and just have a laugh and the pubs will show everyone back to M come on we’ll put the tunes on and Love karaoke and that kind of thing so no what I meant by that was I just
Love love the party scene and you know I’m only 32 R so yeah I work hard but I also play hard couple of questions then what’s your favorite drink what would you sing On karaoke and if you had to pick someone on the night out to come
Out if you from the circuit from the dod circuit would it be Chris Toby presum he don’t drink he’s a melt honestly he’s he’s a good lad Chris but yeah he’s uh he doesn’t no he don’t he’s there’s not many that don’t on night out but he’s one of them
But uh favorite drink it’s got to be a Baby Guinness a it as a short Baby Guinness love a baby um but we go to drink when I’m out Jack and caller um I know where I’m out to out with that karaoke God where do we start hey do you
Want me you want me 80s or like May r one give us your biggest hit the one you can do best none I think I’m really good but I’m really not well after seven drinks everyone sounds that’s the I don’t mean Lose Yourself Eminem um but now the one I always tend
To go to CU I know it is Believe It or Not yazu only you familiar do you want to looking from window above like story of love that one yeah L lad from the dart to go out with it was the most fun if you had to pick
Someone you was just seeing you out in Newcastle didn’t you um after the Premier League who would you who’ you go with so Joe cull is probably the most fun but I’ve got to stick with my boy cuz we like [ __ ] me and cheers me cheers on night out on the Jack Daniels
Stay away it gets messy yeah excellent we’ll leave it there for part one and part two we’ll discuss more of Nathan’s Dart we’ll be back in a Moment welcome back to part two of the Manchester is red podcast now Nathan bit more darts chat how are you finding the darts at the moment because an excellent 6-2 win of Rob cross neck to that I was watching very impressed yeah up and down
Mate this season um you know back end of last year after winning a match play there’s no words to describe it apart from rubbish pants terrible Dreadful um but got put back in the Premier League this year obviously won the match play and I thought this year
Was going to be you know the year that I’m going to go and I would to say dominate the game but certainly win title after title and it’s not panned out like that um it’s been a struggle at the start of the year but um I think you’ve seen over recent weeks it’s
Getting there um you know I’m winning premier league night uh I’ve got I’ve had two finals and I’m probably playing the BC game so you got to take positives from that but yeah I don’t know mixed emotions really it’s I’m happy because I’m in the top four um you know made the
Semis of the first TV Tournament of the year the Masters played well in in the UK open but yeah the summer not clicking at the moment and um hopefully I’m going to find it soon how’ you put your finger on that then how does it work is it a
Little bit more practice or was it just Rhythm or well ironically I’ve stopped practicing so before the worlds I was practicing like six hours a day with with Smithy and I think it affected me too much I think I was putting that much pressure on myself CU I putting that
Much work in that um yeah I didn’t play well but now I’ve gone back to how I used to be when I won the match plays don’t practice you know Anderson does the same doesn’t he talk about he says he doesn’t practice I re it’s the biggest practice on the circuit to be
Fair but it should keep going keep going and some little click you know I think I’ve struggled with my finishing this this season and I’ve changed something up on that and I feel confident now I’m going for me on my double so I think the combination of the confidence in
Starting it and the finishing once them two click then everyone knows how good I am and I’ll be very tough to be how was the disappointment at the worlds then obviously around Christmas time because you would have expected to to go further than that yeah going back to the
Practice and I think I I just B myself out I think it cuz I didn’t play in the the last tournament before the worlds was M head and a p well I say I pulled out I didn’t qualify if I’m deadly honest you I pulled out of
That and took my misses away and I thought I got six weeks there now of hard hard graft and I worked so hard my game was in such a good place and to turn up and play lot was really disappointing and uh yeah I wasn’t I wasn’t the nicest guy to be around
Christmas Eve shall we say but woke up Christmas Day morning kids are there they’re buzzing that I’m not going back to London so you know I’ve never been beat before before Christmas and it is really tough on your family so when you do get beat you kind of you know make
The most of them opportunities and yeah we end up having a fantastic Christmas so you know swings around swings around about obviously gut at the time but when it gets to like the 28th of December and you’re still playing with your kids with all the new toys and you’re not in
London playing darts you can a lot B it so using that disappointment going forward obviously I presume it makes you hungry especially with the Premier League coming around and do you kind of funnel that into your energy when you approach the Premier League yeah I think
It’s not resting on your levels kind of thing so I’ve done it in the past where like when I won the UK open like you think oh my god wow and then you kind of step off and then very quickly you can fall down and as easy it is to get to
The top it’s even easier to fall and I think that’s kind of what I’ve learned from last year is like right had an amazing 12 months you know two finals major finals won the match play you’ve got to push on now because there’s money to be to be defending and if you could
Kind of sit back and just let things deal with itself I’m going to end up being outside the top 16 if I’m not careful so got to work out you got to keep that Focus there and you know I think for me it’s not the practice it’s
The headed if my head’s in a good place then I’m very tough to beat and you know like like I touched on before got Fantastic Team around me you know my sport psychologist my management my family so uh yeah I feel like very very soon my best is going to come can you
Put in the words what it feels like then to be up on that stage I mean obviously you just won that night recently surely the adrenaline you’re on such a high and is it hard to kind of come down from that when you get to back to your hotel
Room or out well it is when you got minor the day after in the UK open so um yeah I again I have so much adrenaline pumping through my body when I’m playing the walk on you know at the start oh my God you know I mean if anyone been been
To watch it live they’ll understand what I’m talking about it is electric you know Joe C’s got a good walk on song but nothing compared to the bright side why did you choose Mr bright side then cuz I’ve also read that you [ __ ] hate it
Was a direct quote do you hate your own song or obviously it gets everyone going it it stirs up the crowd it’s one of the best walk G on songs I’d see no I hate it yeah yeah I used to but it does get everyone going it’s fantastic I was in I
Was in a New Year’s Eve I was in a club called I don’t even know what say anym bre all in Stockport and um like I got beaten in the semis of the worlds came back went out for New Year’s Eve and um I was just in there thinking this is
Opportunity cuz miluk song w’t working just can’t get enough I think it was the PES mode and he w’t working he wasn’t getting the the crowd going and Mr right side came on and the place erupted that’s one um so I went for that and you know it’s grown and grown and
Grown and I still don’t know the words I stand on the fun doing all this I still don’t know the words but um yeah it they love it you know what I mean it’s now part of part of darts you know Mr brat side his DS now um so when I was going
About like I don’t like it it’s I hear it every day in my life you know Premier League nights hear it three or four times a night and then got me earphones in and it’ll come on my Spotify I’m like change it’s gone that but uh yeah the
Crowd love it and I love doing it you know when you imagine what what feeling 15,000 people all singing your song back to you can’t explain that feeling so uh the buzz that I have from that obviously then when you’re winning the adrenaline at the end of the night is is obscene it
Really is and it’s so hard to come down from it um you think i’ have learned yet over 5 years but no I’m still like count counting the cracks in the ceiling when I get back to mil to my brother loves that song there been a few times we
Watch D he gives us a text did you see the as whipping up the crowd there because it really does get the crowd going um what’s the usual week then for for Nan aspal how do you prepare because you see you’re not practicing as much but walk us through your regime your
General week no so no normally well generally speaking Monday um well this year Monday Tuesday are protour so Sunday night I’d be traveling to alester or or Wigan or Milton ke or whatever play Monday Tuesday protos um Wednesday travel to a premier league venue wherever that may be
Normally media commitments to do uh Thursday night you play your premier league and then it’s either uh like Friday Saturday off or you might have a Euro tour so like last week we was in Brighton I played Thurday night and had a flight at 6 o’clock Friday morning to
Belgium and then had to play Friday night so it is full on like how do you have time to do anything don’t that’s it and this is why it’s about managing your calendar like the footballers for example yes they train but they train like what 11: till half one and then
They got the afternoon off a lot of free time yeah they have a lot of free time and even when they’re playing away they might have one night in a hotel I literally spend five days a week in a hotel in probably four different ones
You know what I mean so there is so much traveling and people don’t understand how much there is to do in the DS but it’s about managing your calendar it’s taking time off and I’m probably the world’s worse of that cuz I take so much
Time of maybe too much uh because I get burned out you know I mean I’ve got two kids at home got misses you got to see them at some point you know there’s more to life than just playing darts and earning money you got to you know spend
Time with your family so I do take a a bit of time off plus we playing now as we speak there’s a tournament in Germany but I decided to pull out and come and see you like instead of dinner good choice um I imagine it’s mentally tough
That because in hotel rooms if you’re away from the family and how do you spend those hours in a hotel room do you watch a TV series or yeah I’ve just thank God that Netflix exist what you watching at the moment I’ve actually got nothing to watch at the moment uh just
Finished that uh is it giselda my m is just watching that it say quite good yeah very good um so in fact tell you what we started watching last night uh I know he’s been out for a couple years squid game have you seen that I’m yet to
Watch seen it to watch very good things good so but now I love all like me Breaking Bad Prison Break um Strang things is my favorite um so I I’ll just kind of watch him get back to my room put him on and just literally just Chill April 4th a few weeks time obviously Night 10 of the Premier League you’re homecoming Nathan formerly the M I’ll sneak that in um how excited are you for that it’s going to be a fantastic it’s it’s the one that I look forward to all year last year was my debut playing at
Manchester and the PDC kind of did me and Mike over with the poters against each other CU I think they want someone to get through to the semi-final but now we I didn’t want to play Mike you know he’s not a manke he bit Scout in really
But um he lik to think he’s a man but um yeah me and him played each other as United fan so I thought the the support would have been split the were on my side if deadly honest with you but I never really get that nervous when
I play I was nervous that night uh is that just cuz it means more yeah I think there’s so many friends family everyone there is for I would say they there just for me but they’ll want me to win so much compared to everyone else and you
Can feel it you know you can feel them on on your back same at Blackpool you know they want you to win and you know when people like gizi gets booed and stuff like that sometimes it’s actually easier when you’re getting booed because you’re like well they don’t give they
Want me to lose we a win you know it’s kind of two fingers up at you when you got 12,000 people or one willing you to win every time you miss a double oh and then you’re thinking oh no you know what I mean please go in um but I think I
Learned from last year and playing Rob cross this year so I’m not playing another you know lad from this area so I think the support is going to be amazing and yeah I can’t wait and hopefully get my first win at at Manchester have there been many examples of the crowd been on
Your back I can’t think you you see you be a generally it’s been a few times nothing major you know a lot of it are get in Holland uh um or Australia hat me in AUST I don’t get know they there wasn’t yeah they didn’t
Like me in Australia to be fair and I think what you got to do is like gu’s done it so many times you kind of react then it’s worse you know ask you try and take 10,000 guys on you ain’t winning are you you know what I
Mean so uh I did it in Australia and um I was playing Whitlock to be fair and uh they just started on me and I turn around at first kind of having come on in as a bit of a joke they didn’t take it as a joke wow I swear down like I
Think there was like 30 guys waiting for me outside to be honest with you I was giving him that much grief back but part and parts of sport you know what I mean n nine times out of 10 I’ll get I’ll get the support whever I go so you know if I
Get booed now and then like I did at Cardiff against gz know I’m a big I’m a big enough man to deal with that what did you guys think then at the worlds when gazi came out I thought he Mega I actually seen him two days before could
He I’m sure he put a post on with his a they more things and I seen him and I was like i’ seen your postmate brilliant he went I’m not joking so I’m laughing he yeah n I’m telling you now they start my back I’m wearing him yeah Okay g
Whatever know he did he walked out with him and I’m like I’m sat at home going what is he doing you know what I mean but yeah it’s um I don’t understand why he didn’t been gy headphones out he would have made a fortune would it that
Was a Miss brand de wasn’t it I think an oversight from his manager he did it and uh obviously that backfire as well didn’t it Everyone likes to talk about darts nicknames and I know yours is just the ASP well did you just think ah do you know what simple nickname take that
Or stuff for inspiration my nickname was aspy growing up as a kid um and that shirts well when I first started it’s about having like a big picture in the back and a nickname um so I was kind of thinking what I can use but to tie him
With aspy and someone could said well why you the ASP it’s a snake kill Cleopatra did you know that I didn’t know that so go no I didn’t know I’m not the long but I didn’t know so the as is obviously it’s a snake kill cleat why
Don’t you have a snake on your back the ASP yeah going in why not that’s not a bad idea but if it could go back and change it a lot of people because of the way that I am when I’m playing they all call me like waspy like when I got the
Bit between my teeth so maybe it could have been called The Wasp maybe with a yellow shirt could come on to buzzing or something too for um on the subject of names the nuke we were just talking about him as well before came on there obviously the same
Stable same management isn’t it um when was the first time you realized he had a bit of talent because it was kind of word on the scene wasn’t it this lad was was coming from yeah he was I played him I think it was Chester in a Riley’s
Tournament and I beat him 43 and I think he was about four no he’s about he’s about 11 12 and uh did he have a beard din as well yeah he did actually wow you like he was a kid like and then I remember seeing his dad was with him and
His dad was dead critical of him cuz he’s lost and I’m like me he’s 12 like I’m one well I was like top 16 I think in the world at the time I’m like give him a bit no no he needs he needs to learn needs to learn and you know
Obviously that that probably that hard talk over the years he probably produced one of the best art players he ever going to be in our sport so he’s amazing you know what I mean what else can you say you know other players are are sick of seeing his on our social media cuz
He’s just making stories every week and you know that’s credit to him you know what I mean it’s it’s not just the media that are obsessed with him he’s he’s the one that’s binging him to him if that makes sense you know the amazing run at
The worlds then he h a n Out against me and B and then he wins the tourament then he wins the first pro tour then he wins the first Euro tour so every week he’s making stories so that’s full credit to him but yeah he’s still not
Won the Premier League night yet I’ve got one over at the moment you beat him recently as well didn’t you yeah oh that was sweet yeah it’s a first time beat him you know since being a pro and obviously we we practiced with each other in the past and you know generally
Speaking I got the better of him but I think since the worlds he’s a completely different animal and yeah I don’t think with any of us have played well against each other in the first two times we played certainly Brighton was was Dreadful by both both of us but I think
It was nice to actually play a decent game of darts with him um and yeah I play fantastic but I needed that for me own for me own s because I couldn’t lose three on three out three against him would you compare it to your kind of
Rise at the world in 2019 cuz no completely different you you were huge then as well yourself yeah exactly I mean you knocked out GUI as well G price didn’t you and was it Michael Smith in the semi-finals that was a big story at
The time yeah no to be fair I kind of get why you coming from I did come from nowhere it was my debut as well like Luke so um yeah he obviously went one step further than me but um yeah you know yeah probably does have a bit of
Similarity the only thing is is I would have made you after that he didn’t but now um yeah I can kind of get why why you say it but like I say he he’s only he was 16 at the worlds 16 years already making a world final and
Not just scraping it the way he played the game against Rob cross was was obscene so uh now full credit to him you know he’s going to make us a lot work harder that’s for sure because end the day like I said up you know before and
You know we’ worked hard so hard to get to where we’re at and he his tips open starts beating us all so yeah we’re going to want to put him back in his place definitely and what’s your relationship with him man because the same management so I guess you’re
Friends with dby and lit but you are competing as well I guess of course that’s the difference between darts and a lot of other sports is we are all so close and I think you see in a moment a lot of pundits are getting a bit annoyed
With the fact that we’re hugging after games and stuff like that but you know look at look at the Premier League you know with the make guys Wednesday Thursday Friday for four months right so half half of the my week and with these three these eight Lads so of course
We’re close you know what I mean and uh when you on there you want to beat each other of course you want to smash 10 lumps out of each other but after the game is all respect uh I don’t think you you’ll ever see one game in the Premier
League where it’s a bit you know we call it a wet fish you know what I mean everyone always gives each other respect but now i’ got you know get on with him um like I say get on with Doby get on with everyone really there’s not many
People I don’t get on with difference with LC is you don’t really talk cuz you he’s obsessed with Xbox um going back to that 2019 wills and Nathan I mean obviously fantastic run how did you spend the money did you buy anything silly or can you remember
Did anything stand out in your mind at that time you were very you were very young this is the world you mean I had a lot of debt so I paid some of my debt off very sensible which something I’d never thought I’d be able to do um life
Changing that that wasn’t it of course it was yeah because I was skinn you know what I mean had nothing and then all of a sudden you know I think within three months I won I won the UK open which was 100 Grand and the 7s was 100 Grand so
I’d won 200 Grand in three months but a month before one I got to the worlds I had like five grand in my bank if that you know what I mean so I’ve got all this money now I’m thinking what the hell do we do is that has that been
Difficult kind of getting that so quickly I know you’ve worked so hard for it across the air and eventually kind of comes yeah definitely and I remember speaking years ago to Rob cross he obviously want to hell of a lot more than what I won but he won the worlds
And he was saying that he just didn’t know what to do he’s dead depressed and I felt a bit like that because all you’ve ever want to do is a kid is you know if you can be successful playing a sport that you love travel in the world
Give your family everything they want that’s what you want in it and out life and then when it all comes to you you’re like oh my God like what is overwhelming and I did you know I was a bit down back when I started doing all that winning
All that money and um you know obviously going back to it you know don’t want to keep blowing smoke of his ass but you know management was there to to help me get through them times you know what I mean um you know how to not necessarily
Invest it but you know buy yourself a house get yourself this do this with it do that with it make sure you got your tax money how important to have that team around you and you’ve mentioned the psychologist as well how often did you speak an Elite Sport it’s so important
Isn’t it yeah I think especially where the game’s going now you need you just need the right people it’s not just a guy say like do that do that do that you need to also have a a bonded relationship with him and we’ve been through that times together certainly me
And my management have but we’ve also had some amazing experiences so um you know it’s the same across the board you know not just me but your does your lotes you know it’s all about helping each other out and we have got honestly we’ve got a mega team zxf is a mega Team
All the lads are fantastic and you know but darts is getting to that next level now so you need more than just management you need like I say the sports psychology and I’ve been pushing so hard to try and get some of the other Lads talking to him because you know
Everyone else does it every other sport footballers do it boxers do it golfers do it you know darts is probably the most brutal sport there is out there you’re on that stage on your own if it’s going wrong it’s only you that can sort
Out so you need to be very strong in the head and you know the guy that I’m speaking to is working wonders on me um and yeah just it’s great to have these people around you if you look at your career then what would you see is the
Highest point and then you’ve talked about some of the laws what’s been the most disappointing LW yeah High’s got be the match play without a doubt you know coming back for me injury um what 12 months prior never thinking I was ever going to really reach the heights again
To them winning the second biggest tournament and it’s to be fair obious everyone wants to win World be world champion but for me with where the tournament is being in Black pool and the support get that’s the one I want to win so much um legendary Phil Taylor
Trophy you know the best to ever pick out pick a that up was amazing so without doubt I no question as a match play lowest point there’s been a few there’s been a few um that’s an AG of the sport I’d probably have to say as a whole getting the injury that
Time um I thought that was it I thought it back at uh the accountancy firm it was really bad and again luckily you know talking about having the right people around you you know I had the right people doing the treatment the right Specialists I got the best doctor
That I could possibly get you told that you might not be return to dtam right and say was it wasn’t to that extent you know obviously these stories escalate don’t they you you know what I mean like the football story some papers are putting like I was nearly like in the
England team you know what I mean that’s how much escalated but no it was bad there’s no doubt in that it was bad but they what to give me an operation or an operation was on on the cards but I don’t know how i’ recovered from that so
I didn’t want to do it and it was just about letting it heal basically but it was four months and then our sport if you don’t play for four months you’re ring is going down and it’s so hard to get back up so it’s not like football
Where you guaranteed your wage I wasn’t making any money either for them four months um but yeah it was tough it was tough to deal with and then trying to come back I developed in D it’s called a snatch so CU I CU I was in pain I was
Doing that all the time getting beat all the time and it it was really really tough how frustrating is that cuz obviously you’re in such a good position you come back I was playing so well I probably play the best D of my life as
Well i’ just come off um f beat me in the semis at Europeans was it European finals and I tied up to a Proto two days after that and I just felt it go I was in such a good place mentally darts wise and that happened and you know the these things
Happen you know ironically since since that’s happened I’ve come back and I’ve had two major finals and a win so um yeah things happen for a reason in life don’t it but yeah it was pretty pretty bad time I’m not going to lie in a few months time obviously the world match
Play July again um how quick is that going it does excited to get back there and who do you think your biggest threats are this summer um yeah can’t wait like I say I love the it’s the best any doubt play your ass the atmosphere
Is Mega you know what I mean it’s diard fans as well so people normally buy like a weekly ticket um ah it’s just unreal if You’ never been mate you need to get that H class but um yeah I love it can’t wait and uh hope win me you know defend
The title but biggest threats you be be wrong of me not to put Luke in that mix winner uh but for me you know the the favorite you the champion though that’s the thing you’re going yeah yeah of course and obviously the support get it
Will be amazing but I think DS has gone through the roof again another the standard wise I mean the last 12 months Gary Anderson is 52 he’s probably playing the best D ever played in his life you know what I mean banging under 10 averages in like you know what I mean
Like the 60 averages it’s obscene so every game is going to be tough but for me I think the guy to watch is Luke hum I think he’s absolutely fantastic I think you look at him in the Premier League this year he he bangs averages in that look like he’s
Playing at an 80 average when you’re doing that you’re good you know what I mean like Phil used to do all time me you’d watch him and go he’s not playing well there it comes up 107 do you know what I mean like when I bang 107 average
And I make you know about 107 average you know what I mean I’m jumping around like an idiot it’s just natural for for Luke and he he’s full of confidence and yeah I think he’s the one to watch but he is a leads fan but he is a lead that
Is his problem hey I’m not L you know I’ve never known he’s going to have to rethink it because everywhere he’s been he’s been booed I’ve not seen him be cheer he’s getting that way isn’t it yeah why do you think that is he’s a lead fan there’s no other reason is but
Ere have we gone even um where were we were last week Nottingham not oh my God and I played did play last week didn’t yeah in the final yeah he Le SC we l it and it just nonstop um what’s going to happen when you go to the arena a few weeks in
The Manchester Arena yeah luckily he’s not playing one of us because it would have been bad um but yeah he’ll get Jad and Le anyway obious good luck for the rest of the season sure you need it thanks for attending really appreciate it and thanks listeners for listening
Hope you enjoyed the episode take Care
