Nathan Aspinall will make the annual pilgrimage to Alexandra Palace as the number six seed at this year’s Paddy Power World Darts Championship – a prospect which seemed unfathomable two years ago.
The 32-year-old overcame a career-threatening wrist injury in the latter stages of 2021, and earlier this year, he was suffering a confidence crisis that almost derailed his Premier League campaign.
However, Aspinall has thrived in the face of adversity, storming to his second premier televised title with a stunning victory over Jonny Clayton in July’s World Matchplay decider.
“I’m in the best headspace I’ve ever been in,” insisted Aspinall, who scooped £200,000 for his exploits at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.
“I won the second biggest tournament in the world, and I didn’t even feel like I played that well!
“I’m provisionally world number four going into 2024, and now I’m thinking: ‘How good can I actually be at this game?’
“I know I have so many more gears to go through, but the only way I’m going to get to that level is by working harder than I ever have before.”
Aspinall’s tenacity was illustrated throughout his World Matchplay campaign, where he celebrated the biggest victory of his life, just months after a moment he described as the 'lowest point' of his career.
“The start of this year was so much harder than my injury. It was a different scale,” revealed the Stockport star.
“In the Premier League, I was 4-0 up against Peter [Wright] in Brighton and I was playing unreal darts.
“All of a sudden, I couldn’t throw my dart and I lost 6-4. That was the lowest point of my career.
“The day after that I got on four trains to Tottenham to speak to a sports psychologist, and six days later I was in Rotterdam playing Michael [van Gerwen], with 12,000 fans against me!
“It was probably the worst situation I could have been in, but I went and won the night, and that shows the strength and determination that I have."
Having featured in a further two televised finals in 2023, Aspinall credits his sports psychologist for providing him with fresh impetus, and he’s urged some of his fellow professionals to follow a similar route.
“I’m trying to push a few players that have been struggling with their game, because it’s worked absolute wonders for me,” added the world number six.
“At the end of the day we are human beings. We’re not robots. Every other sport has sports psychologists, hypnosis, therapists, so why does darts have to be different?
“You’re on that stage on your own, and if you’re struggling, you’ve got to find something. I think mentally, it’s one of the toughest sports in the world.”
Despite his trials and tribulations, Aspinall now has his sights set on Alexandra Palace history, as he bids to become the first player to follow up World Matchplay success by lifting a maiden World Championship crown.
The quintet of Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Rob Cross and Peter Wright all claimed the sport’s holy grail prior to celebrating World Matchplay glory, although Aspinall believes he can buck that trend.
The former UK Open champion made back-to-back semi-finals in his first two World Championship appearances, and he insists it’s a matter of when, not if, he scoops the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy.
“If I was to win the World Championship, I think it would be one of the greatest wins in darts," claimed Aspinall, who will play Ricky Evans in his World Championship opener on December 23.
“I’ve had the injury, problems with my throw and the knockbacks, but there is no reason why I can’t pick that trophy up this year.
“It will happen. Whether it’s this year, next year or the year after, it will happen.
“Even if I’m 60 and I’m still playing, I will be here until I win the World Championship!”
You can read the full, exclusive feature with Nathan in the official 2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship programme, which is available to pre-order now.