Darts News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Kieran Cleeves/PDC

Ryan Searle claims Gary Anderson is still better than Littler & Humphries on his day

Originally posted on Dartsnews.com | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 10:37 AM ET

Gary Anderson may be approaching his 55th birthday, but if you ask Ryan Searle, The Flying Scotsman is nowhere near finished at the highest level. Anderson’s long-time practice partner believes the two-time world champion remains “more than capable” of lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy again – and even on today’s darting landscape, dominated by Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, Anderson is still the man to beat when he’s at full flow.

It has been a long time since Anderson last lifted a PDC-televised ranking title – the 2018 Champions League of Darts, a short-lived event shown on the BBC. Since then, the big-stage drought has raised questions about whether the Scot’s golden years are firmly behind him. At the majors in 2025, Anderson has yet to progress beyond the fourth round, with his only TV victory of the season coming against Luke Woodhouse at the World Matchplay.

But those numbers, Searle argues, don’t tell the whole story. Away from the bright lights, Anderson has looked rejuvenated, and Searle insists his close friend has rediscovered his passion for the sport.

Speaking on the Tops and Tales podcast, Searle explained : “I think he fell out of love with the game for a little while. It’s just good to get him back on the board. Darts is a better place with Gary Anderson playing his best in it."

"He batters me pretty much every time we practice. When we first started practising, it was fairly even then all of a sudden, I think it was last year I went nearly a year without winning a practice session," continues 'Heavy Metal'. "I was still p laying really well on the Tour. I was winning events. I was reaching those finals and stuff, so it wasn’t really bothering me that much.”

Anderson’s pedigree has never been in doubt – two world titles, multiple televised majors, and a place among the sport’s greats. But what excites Searle is the sense that the fire is back, and that could spell trouble for Littler, Humphries, and the rest of darts’ new generation.

Searle continued: “He’s one of the best players to ever play the game and with very minimal effort as well."

"He did say that he’s starting to enjoy the game a lot more now and I still believe now that he’s got a major in him," he insists. "Even the World Championship, I think that’s something he’s more than capable of winning."

"Luke Humphries and Luke Littler I think they’re the main two at the minute. I think you can put Gezzy Price in there as well. Johnny Clayton is starting to play well again.But you can put Gary up there w ith them and on his day, I don’t think even they will beat him.”

That is no throwaway remark. Humphries and Littler are widely regarded as the sport’s outstanding forces right now, with Price and Clayton close behind. To claim Anderson still belongs in that bracket – and can even outperform them on his day – underlines just how highly Searle rates the Scot’s current level.

Searle even admitted he dreams of a fairytale showdown on darts’ biggest stage: “I would love to see Luke Littler against Gary Anderson in the World Championship final with them both playing at their very best. I think that would be great to see.”

Anderson has already offered evidence this season that he remains a force on the ProTour. Titles at Players Championship 7 and the European Darts Grand Prix reaffirmed his ability to mix it with the best. For many, those results were further proof that the fire still burns – and that one of the sport’s true legends still has one more major run in him.

Whether Anderson can turn that form into another tilt at the World Championship remains to be seen. But in Ryan Searle’s eyes, darts fans shouldn’t be writing him off just yet.