'If there’s any Newcastle flights in my case, I’ll be throwing it away!' - Stephen Bunting wants no part of Chris Dobey & Jonny Clayton’s pranks

With nerves of steel and a brilliant final leg, Stephen Bunting booked his place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 European Darts Open in Leverkusen on Sunday afternoon. In a thrilling last-16 clash, The Bullet edged out Northern Ireland’s Daryl Gurney 6–5 – delivering a huge statement in the decider with back-to-back 180s and a stunning 11-darter to seal the win. Afterwards, 'The Bullet' spoke exclusively to Dartsnews.de.

“Yeah, the belief's always there. I practiced really, really well," Bunting told Dartsnews.de. "Obviously, Daryl’s a tough opponent to beat, but I needed to throw all my might into that last leg – and luckily, they all started going into the treble.”

That final-leg brilliance proved decisive – and secured Bunting his return to the final session of a European Tour event for the first time since his run to the final in Riesa at ET3. The sense of relief was clear.

“Yeah, really, really good. I didn’t see the stats – there were a lot of missed doubles – but I felt really nervous, to be honest. Like I said, Daryl’s a great player and you can never overlook him. I’m just glad to get that one out of the way. Now I can go back, rest for an hour or so, and then I’ll be ready for tonight.”

Awaiting Bunting in the quarter-finals is one of darts’ brightest young talents, Wessel Nijman. Bunting is fully aware of the challenge – but approaches it with confidence and good humour.

“I just need to keep doing what I’m doing – playing really well. I’ll make sure to rest now for a while and come back fully focused. Wessel’s a great player with a massive future ahead of him – but so have I,” he added with a broad grin.

During the interview, Bunting was also asked about a light-hearted moment from the day before: Chris Dobey, a proud Newcastle United fan, discovered Liverpool-themed flights in his dart case just before his match against Niko Springer – a prank reportedly orchestrated by Jonny Clayton. Did fellow Liverpool fan Bunting have a hand in it?

“No, no – and if there’s any Newcastle flights in my case, I’ll be throwing it away!” he laughed.

Looking ahead, Bunting remains focused as the summer season ramps up and major tournaments loom, including the World Matchplay.

“Yeah, of course. The Matchplay’s around the corner, to be honest. Tournaments like these really help you get focused and ready for it. I’ll be looking forward to finishing the next few tournaments off. We’ve got some Pro Tours before that, and I’ll go into the Matchplay full of confidence – I hope!”