Nathan Aspinall is brimming with confidence ahead of the new European Tour season, declaring it the stage where he can truly thrive. The Englishman, who had a successful run on the continental circuit last year, told Tungsten Tales that he has now found a formula to manage the demanding schedule better. "The European Tour was a love-hate relationship for many years. I enjoyed coming because it was good money and you get to see different places, but by Sunday nights I was absolutely done," Aspinall said. He added, "It took me a long time to find the formula that works for me, but I've found that now. I'm excited for this year, and I think it's going to be a big one. I think this is where I can do my damage." Aspinall contrasted this with his view of the Pro Tours, stating, "On the Pro Tours, I'm pretty average. I hate them. I love the European Tours. The crowd, the energy, everything about it. I really come alive on stage, and the European Tour is the place for me."
The atmosphere on the European Tour serves as extra motivation for Aspinall, who believes some events rival major televised tournaments. "Some of them feel like TV events. It's not the stage, the crowd or the country, it's the venue. You walk into somewhere like the Budapest Arena and it's unbelievable. It feels like a Premier League venue," he explained. He emphasized the popularity of darts across mainland Europe, saying, "Take the World Matchplay out of the equation, and I'd say the European Tour is the best place to play darts. Wherever you go in Europe, the crowds are fantastic, and I just love playing them."
Alongside the sporting enjoyment, Aspinall sees a clear opportunity to improve his world ranking position. With relatively little prize money to defend in the coming months, the situation looks favorable. "I looked up what I'm defending, and it's about £43,000 until October. I think I've already won about £25,000 or £30,000 of that back now," he said. "So I've basically got around 40 tournaments to defend about £13,000. That's amazing. That's why I'm going to play as much as I can." The former major champion intends to play as many tournaments as possible, though he has already withdrawn from one event due to a minor shoulder issue. "I have pulled out of Leicester next weekend because of a little tweak in my shoulder. Nothing serious, just something I don't want to aggravate. But apart from that, I'm going to play as much as possible," Aspinall noted.
Beyond his darts schedule, Aspinall is looking forward to a personal highlight later this year: his wedding and a stag party featuring several well-known darts players. He joked about fellow player Chris Dobey, saying, "Chris has done well, though, he's lost a lot of weight naturally." The stag do is set to take place during the World Cup week, as Aspinall explained, "We're doing it during the World Cup week because we're trying to get into the England team for the World Cup of Darts." The guest list includes familiar faces from the darts world. "There'll be a few of the lads coming. Me, Dobey, Cullen, Ross Smith. It's going to be hectic," Aspinall detailed. He added with a smile, "As long as I don't get tied up around a lamppost, I'll be happy."
