Darts star left raging after 'scandalous' Premier League snub with two rivals picked - 'Did not deserve it'

De Decker, ranked world No 24, became the first player in the Premier League's 20-year history to miss out after winning a major televised event on Sky Sports.

'I find their decision a bit scandalous, to be honest,' the 29-year-old told Het Nieuwsblad.

PDC chief executive Matt Porter claimed De Decker 'wasn't quite ready' for the Premier League, prompting fierce disagreement from the Belgian.

De Decker reserved particular criticism for Nathan Aspinall and Gerwyn Price's inclusion in the tournament line-up.

"They did not deserve it," he said bluntly. "Suddenly they reach a quarter-final at the World Championships and they are there."

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The Belgian star took aim at both players' credentials, adding: "Aspinall is there with his walk-on purely for the entertainment and if Price performs badly in the first few weeks, he will start complaining again."

"They say that you get into the Premier League based on results, but apparently that is not the case," De Decker added.

Explaining the decision, Porter pointed to previous major winners who weren't immediately selected for Premier League duty.

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'We've seen players in the past, I don't want to embarrass them by naming them, but players like Danny Noppert, Ross Smith and Andrew Gilding that have won TV tournaments,' Porter said.

The PDC chief stressed that one-off success wasn't enough for Premier League inclusion.

'Doing it once is fantastic and is something that you will always have but to really be part of the elite, you have to be doing it on a regular basis over multiple years,' he added.

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The Premier League line-up has now been confirmed, with world champion Luke Littler among the eight competitors.

The teenage sensation will be joined by World No 1 Luke Humphries when the tournament begins in Belfast on February 6.

Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Stephen Bunting, Chris Dobey, Aspinall and Price complete the roster.

Littler's inclusion comes after his remarkable World Championship run at Alexandra Palace earlier this month where he won the World Darts Championship, having lost to Humphries in the final of the same competition 12 months ago.