Inside Luke Humphries’ whirlwind week from Luke Littler defeat and Leeds heartache to £165k jackpot and getting engaged
LUKE HUMPHRIES has had a whirlwind week both at the oche and away from it.
The world No1 darts player suffered heartbreak twice before stitching his heart back up again by dropping the knee to get engaged.
Instagram @lukehumphries180Luke Humphries took the opportunity to propose to partner Kayley while in New York after a whirlwind week[/caption]
Instagram @lukehumphries180Kayley said ‘yes’ to Humphries’ proposal and the pair got engaged[/caption]
GettyLuke Humphries has endured an up and down week[/caption]
AlamyThe star lost out on the Premier League Darts title to Luke Littler last Thursday[/caption]
Humphries, 29, has been dominating the world of darts in recent months.
And after a brilliant Premier League campaign he found himself in the final of the competition last Thursday – the start of a crazy period for the star.
Cool Hand Luke faced off against teen sensation Luke Littler under the lights at the O2 Arena for the chance to win one of the biggest prizes in darts.
The head-to-head was four months and over 20 match wins in the making and was a repeat of the high stakes World Championship final between the pair back in January.
Humphries came out victorious that day, but failed to get the better of Littler last Thursday with the teenager sinking a nine-darter to win 11-7 in front of a record crown at the O2.
It was heartbreak at the hands of a familiar foe for Humphries, who was only about to compound that ache with more pain from a completely different sport.
Just three days after his agonising final loss, Humphries headed to Wembley to watch his beloved Leeds United compete for a place in the Premier League.
Humphries, who was named Luke as an acronym for ‘Leeds United Kings of Europe’, is a die-hard Leeds fan who makes no effort to hide his passion for the Yorkshire club.
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RexHumphries was at Wembley to watch Leeds United play in the Championship play-off final[/caption]
GettyLeeds lost 1-0 to Southampton to miss out on promotion[/caption]
AlamyHumphries is a die-hard Leeds fan and has previously worn a Leeds-themed darts shirt[/caption]
The world champion was even asked to be part of a pre-match video wishing the players good luck for the play-offs – a video that bizarrely included cameos from Paris Hilton and Will Ferrell.
But what was meant to be a perfect day under the arch turned sour quickly as Humphries watched his team lose 1-0 to Southampton to find themselves resigned to another season in the Championship.
Although most people would assume that two sporting related heartbreaks in the space of three days would be too much to handle for one person, Humphries seemed just fine.
The Berkshire-born thrower explained that in the grand scheme of things pocketing £165,000 for his efforts in the Premier League Darts sweetened what would have been a miserable few days.
He said: “A lot of people were tagging and messaging me saying I’ve had the worst week possible.
“But I won £165,000 on Thursday. It’s not much of a bad week. I’ve had worse I can assure you of that.
“Obviously I know I lost the final on Thursday and Leeds lost on Sunday.
“Thursday was a great game to be a part of. I didn’t walk away from that disappointed or thinking ‘what if?’
“I did the best I could and that wasn’t good enough. Luke played fantastic, he deserved the win.”
After lining his pockets with a handsome lump of cash things got even better for Humphries.
Instagram / @lukehumphries180Humphries jetted off to New York alongside his partner Kayley Jones after his heartbreak[/caption]
Kayley key to Humphries success
Luke Humphries has insisted he success is down to the understanding of partner Kayley Jones.
He said: “Credit to my girlfriend. She could easily have me up at 6am, looking after my son who wakes up at that time. But she allows me to sleep in.
“She understands the importance of rest. If she wanted me to get up at those times, I’d do it.
“But she’s the most supportive woman in the world towards me. I give a lot of credit to her.
“She allows me to come home from darts and have that rest time I need. Whereas a normal dad may get up at 6am for the kids.
“I got home from the UK Open in Minehead at 4am. My week would have been ruined.
“All the credit to her for allowing me to have that relaxed time. She works incredibly hard at home, I work incredibly hard at darts.
“Your home life is really, really tough, especially when you’re away a lot. But I love spending time with my family.
“She allows me to sleep in. I know it sounds crazy but that extra rest I really do need is what I get from my girlfriend.
“Mentally I’m in the best place possible since the worlds. I feel like I have achieved everything I ever wanted. But you have to work harder and harder.
“You go to your family and you realise that there’s more to life than darts.
“I will make sure I take the breaks that I need throughout the year.”
The four-time major champion jetted off to New York alongside seven other European darts stars ahead of this weekend’s US Darts Masters at the iconic Madison Square Garden.
When in the Big Apple, things only got better for Humphries as he was dragged from pillar to post doing TV interviews and open top bus tours.
But he ensured this week of ups and downs would always be remembered as one of the best weeks of his life by dropping his knee and proposing to his partner Kayley Jones.
Humphries pulled out a ring on top of a skyscraper as he and Kayley looked over the stunning backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.
And after Kayley said ‘yes’, the pair were treated to champagne from the PDC, an ice hockey game at MSG and pancakes at the Starlight Diner.
Now Humphries is hoping to keep the good times rolling as he heads into this weekend’s stateside tournament.
A victory in the US Darts Masters could see him win his third title of the year and earn another £20,000 to top up his growing wedding fund.
instagramThey celebrated with a hockey game at Madison Square Garden[/caption]
instagramThe PDC gifted the happy couple some champagne[/caption]
Instagram / @lukehumphries180Humphries had already explored the Big Apple with Luke Littler and Peter Wright on an open-top bus tour[/caption]
Instagram / @lukehumphries180The world champ was also on TV in the US[/caption]
