By Brad Williams
The Premier League of Darts is right around the corner, so let’s get to know the class of 2026.
Jonny Clayton makes his well-earned Premier League return, where he is the grizzled darting veteran of the 2026 lineup, and is hoping his experience and clinical finishing, especially on the bull, will carry him to more Premier League glory.
Clayton has been playing darts since 1995 and secured his PDC Tour Card in 2015, following a seven-year stint in the BDO. However, it was 2021 that proved to be the year of the dragon as the Welshman finally won his first televised PDC major title at the Masters. He didn’t stop there, though, as he carried his red-hot form through the rest of the year by winning the 2021 Premier League of Darts, becoming the first Welshman to do so.
‘The Ferret’ chased that success up by defeating his Welsh compatriot, Gerwyn Price, in the final of the 2021 World Grand Prix. A fourth major title of the year ensued as Clayton defeated Dimitri Van den Bergh to add the World Series of Darts to his impressive trophy cabinet. Alongside Gerwyn Price, the pair won the World Cup of Darts on two occasions, both in 2020 and 2023, where they represented Wales.
Jonny Clayton has enjoyed a bit of a career resurgence in the last year to book his much-anticipated return to the Premier League. The Welshman reached the final of the 2025 Masters, as well as the UK Open semi-finals and the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Championship. On top of that, he managed to secure victories in Players Championship 14 and the Dutch Darts Championship.
Outside of Darts, Clayton worked as a plasterer until 2022, meaning he was still working his day job during his outstanding 2021 run- as if it wasn’t already impressive enough. His interesting darting nickname, ‘The Ferret,’ stems from his days playing Rugby as a scrum-half and was given to him by his teammates due to his smaller frame and playing style.
Jonny Clayton makes his fourth Premier League appearance and his first since 2023, having won the tournament on debut in 2021.