LUKE Humphries is doing everything he can within his power to stay as the world’s best darts player.
On Sunday evening, Cool Hand Luke saw off teen wonderkid Luke Littler at the Players Championship to win yet another final.
It took his prize money to £1.2million for 2024 – £100,000 more than his rival.
Humphries’ change of form has been credited with his lifestyle overhaul – and losing four stone in weight.
To maintain his darts longevity, he uses a nutritionist to stay fit for the gruelling darts calendar.
It’s how he plans to stay on top of the game, as his rivalry with Littler looks set to dominate at the oche for years to come.
Humphries revealed: “I want to be here in 20 years playing at the top level. If you don’t look after yourself, you won’t be.
“The difference 10 or 15 years ago is players would only play every two weeks and one major every three months. It’s not like that anymore and it’s going to get a lot harder.
“We are going to be playing nearly five days a week soon. If you don’t look after yourself, you won’t be able to deal with the stamina that it takes.
“I’m eating as well as I can. You don’t want to come to these tournaments lethargic. It really doesn’t help you at all.
“For me having this nutritionist helping me eat right allows me to go to bed feeling fresh, wake up feeling fresh and it’s becoming very important for someone like me. I think a lot of players will follow suit as well.”
Gone are the days when players rested pints of lager next to their darts cases and a packet of fags.
For Humphries, a change in the way he lived his life was important to improve his ability in a sport where focus is key.
He told Sky Sports: “I’ve lost a bit of weight and gained stamina: healthy life, healthy mind.
“You have to be fit and healthy, these are long days.”
He has kept his cards close to his chest on how he has done it.
It is understood that he takes a more “clean” approach to eating, with vegetables aiding his plight.
Humphries was also said to have used an exercise bike to shift some excess baggage.
In 2018, he cut a completely different figure at the oche. But three years later, he decided to do something about it.
Lockdown prompted him into action, and he managed to shift two stone in less than two months.
Humphries revealed his weight loss in February 2021 by tweeting: “Really working hard towards the new darting season in a few weeks!
“Lost over 2 stone since Christmas.. on reflection big changes were needed to myself to get to that next level in my career!
“I’m practising harder than I ever have.. Hoping the rewards will pay off this year!”
Over time, he shifted another two stone and continues to sport a slimmer physique on tour.
It’s been a long road for Humphries to reach the top, and he won’t give it up easy now.
After beating Phil Taylor in an exhibition in December 2017 on the Isle of Wight, Humphries woke up the next day at 5am and his heart started to give him concerns.
Though his ticker was found to be fine, it was one of several anxiety attacks that he ended up having to contend with.
Episodes that made him think if playing this sport at the highest level, with all its pressures and pitfalls, was really worth it.
Nothing specifically was the trigger, it could sometimes happen when he sat down at home while watching the TV. Or occasionally when he flew abroad.
Changing his diet helped the former roofer keep his mental health issues under control.
“It’s a long, hard road in every life,” Humphries said after winning last year’s World Championships.
“I’m not the only person to have struggled or gone through adversity or had to work hard to overcome things. I don’t want people feeling sorry for me.
“I had my own battles to face and I had to do it head-on.
“If I can just give anything from this, I’d just love it if there’s anyone out there having that bit of struggle, look at what I’ve done.
“I’ve changed my life around, I’ve managed to battle it. I even faced that little bit of anxiety in the final.
“When I got there, it was a massive spectacle. The anxiety never leaves you.
BELOW is a list of Darts world champions by year.
The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions.
That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once – Barney also won four BDO titles – and none of Eric Bristow’s five BDO titles are included.
Most World Titles
“But I managed to battle through the whole lot of it and the way I’ve handled myself over the past three months with all the pressure is mindboggling in my head.
“I want to be open and honest. Certain people I won’t name – celebrities and sports stars – have messaged me to say they go through the same.”
