By Tyler Hart
Nathan Aspinall has made a life out of his aspirations and dreams. From being scouted by Premier League side Manchester United, to becoming one of the PDC’s Premier League of Darts stars. The 33 year old is chasing more than just Premier League status in 2025.
Born in Stockport, Nathan Aspinall had ambitions to become a professional footballer, his hand eye co-ordination, which has since shaped his darting career, made him a perfect candidate for a goalkeeper, he was scouted by Manchester United but was eventually released from their academy, but he wasn’t out of luck, as Rangers had offered him a contract, which he ended up declining, as him and his family didn’t fancy making the move up to Scotland.
He played for Stockport’s academy until the age of 15, where he joined Cheadle Town, but he put aside his footballing career and pursued something else, and after some throws at the pub with his grandad, he discovered his natural talent in the sport.
‘The Asp’ made his first PDC appearance in 2012, through their Development tour and Challenge tour competitions, which in that same year saw the likes of 2023 World Champion Michael Smith and Dirk van Duijvenbode competing. He reached the third round of this tournament, beating James O’Connor 4-0, before suffering from the same scoreline to Ryan Maher.
It took Nathan three years to claim his first title, after securing a two year tour card through Q-School qualification, which he publicly stated that he couldn’t attend originally, but it was paid for by the pub’s landlord as he believed in him completely, he won the 2015 Development Tour Event Seven, beating the likes of 2024 Grand Prix winner Mike De Decker and an 18 year old Ted Evetts en route to overcoming Benito van de Pas in the final 4-2.
It was in 2018 where Nathan took a big risk. He had a well paying job as an accountant, but the darts circuit was very demanding, and he deemed it impossible to do both at once, which is why he made the leap in becoming a professional darts player, a choice he should never regret.
He made plenty TV appearances throughout the years, whilst also winning a Challenge Tour event and a Player’s Championship event that he won with only £20 to his name. But his big break came in the 2019 World Championship, where he reached the semi-final as a Pro Tour Order of Merit qualifier, beating 2021 World Champion Gerwyn Price and the first player to hit a televised ‘double-in’ nine-darter Brendan Dolan, before losing to eventual runner-up Michael Smith.
Two months later, Nathan took his first major title, the 2019 UK Open, beating Rob Cross with a stunning 170 checkout, where he won £100,000, bumping him up to number 16 in the Order of Merit, his first time in the top 32.
Since 2019, Nathan has played in six Premier League of Darts competitions, the only one he missed was the 2022 competition. He was in the final of the 2020 edition but lost to Glen Durrant 8-11.
That big money tournament eluded Nathan for years, but in 2023, he struck gold as he won the World Matchplay in the illustrious Winter Gardens. He beat the 2021 Premier League champion Jonny Clayton 18-6 with a dominant display to win the £200,000 cash prize.
Dartitis and injuries hasn’t deterred Nathan completely, however he had a year long wait to win his most recent trophy. It came on March 23rd 2025 in a European Tour event in Gottingen, Germany, he scraped past Gary Anderson with a 170 finish to reclaim the throw and make it a deciding leg, which he won, but the title winning moment came after he beat ‘Relentless’ Ryan Joyce 8-4 in the final.
Nathan’s career has had it’s ups and downs, but his pure grit and determination is enough to earn the respect of all the fans that sing ‘Mr Brightside’, and also to earn his regular spot in the Premier League of Darts.