Nathan Aspinall has revealed that he has fallen out of love with darts, admitting that he treats playing the sport like a job nowadays rather than a passion. The Brit has enjoyed enormous success over the years, but the sacrifices he is being forced to make appear to be taking their toll on the 34-year-old.

Aspinall has made over £2.2million from darts over the years, winning the World Matchplay in 2023 and landing the spoils in the UK Open in 2019 as well as being a Premier League regular and a two-time World Championship semi-finalist. But the cons of competing so frequently appear to now outweigh the positives.

Speaking to Footy Accumulators, The Asp explained: “I'm not a big darts fan anymore. I don't sit at home when I'm not playing and watch it. I didn't watch the World Cup, for example. If I'm out of the tournament, I won't go back to my house and see who wins.

“Everyone thinks it's all roses and you travel to these amazing places, which we do, but it's very lonely. I spent five days in New York on my own and was so bored. I'm missing a wedding next month because I'm in Keel, so I'll miss a lot of family time and key events. But I'm the one who has to make the sacrifices so my family can have a good life.”

Aspinall went on to explain that his priority when competing nowadays is the prize money, rather than titles and world rankings. He explained: “I treat it as my job now, and I'm here to make as much money as I can. It's about giving my family the best life I can, which basically means I do it for the money.

“I want to win trophies and win titles, but first and foremost, I want to win as much money as I can so my family can have a great life, that's my main drive and my motivation.

“If you're treating it as a passion and as a hobby, I don't think there's any pressure on you to win because you're just enjoying yourself, so it’s harder for me. I don't like losing, and I know that if I turn up to work and don't perform, I'm not making any money, so there’s big pressure.”

Aspinall will be hoping to add to his earnings over the weekend when he bids to reclaim his World Matchplay crown at Winter Gardens.