Luke Humphries reached the World Matchplay final for the first time in his career last night.
He defeated James Wade 17-10 and produced his fourth consecutive hundred-plus average.
The tournament has seen a resurgent Wade who has moved up to 18 in the world after reaching his first World Matchplay semi-final since 2015.
His performances have been lauded by players and fans alike and Humphries has called on PDC Chiefs to consider recalling ‘The Machine’ back to the Premier League.
Humphries wants James Wade in Premier League and World Series
Wade last competed in the 17 week tournament in 2022 and reached the semi-finals.
Speaking to Darts Now, the World Champion admitted that he wants the 2009 champion to return to the elite line-up.
He said: “That was one of the best performances I’ve seen from him in a long time.
“You can obviously tell that over the next sort of five months you’re gonna see a different James Wade.”
He added: “I’d love to see him back in the Premier League and the World Series because the sport needs people like James to be honest.”
Wade has silenced doubters
The ten-time major winner has had his critics, but this week has answered a lot of questions.
The 41-year-old revealed yesterday that he’s been battling with health issues throughout the year which has affected his form.
Now those are behind him, the Aldershot ace can focus on reclimbing the rankings.
His deep run in Blackpool has propelled him to just outside the world’s top 16 and if he can take his good form into the second half of the year, Humphries could get his Premier League wish for ‘Wadey’.
Inconsistency has plagued Wade’s game for several years, however, so expect some question marks to remain despite his positive displays this week.