Jonny Clayton Wins Premier League Night in Nottingham Despite Gout, Likely to Sit Out European Tour

Table-topper Jonny Clayton revealed the painful gout affecting his ankles, yet it didn’t stop him from claiming victory in Nottingham during night seven of the Premier League. 

Despite visibly hobbling back and forth on the oche, Clayton overcame Michael van Gerwen and Stephen Bunting, before crushing Luke Humphries 6-1 in the weekly final.

Eight points clear of back-to-back world champion Luke Littler in second, and 10 points ahead of the top four, Clayton is the clear frontrunner for the playoffs at London’s O2, a position Littler has dominated over the past two years. 

Known as “The Ferret,” Clayton is among the world’s best darts players, often competing while battling crippling joint inflammation.

Gout Flare-Up First Noticed at UK Open

The Welshman, 51, explained that the condition flared up during the UK Open in Minehead last weekend, where he reached the quarterfinals.

“To be honest, I do get flare ups with gout. I take medication every day. But it started in the UK open on Saturday. I could feel it, you know. I was starting to limp on Saturday,” Clayton told SportsBoom. 

“So, I was thinking, oh, please no. Take the medication and hopefully caught it just before it gets to this part.”

“But obviously, I wasn't expecting much tonight because I am having trouble walking. At the end of the day, I'm over the moon. It's brilliant.”

No Thought of Pulling Out Despite the Pain

With Michael van Gerwen already forced to withdraw from a Premier League night this season due to illness, we asked if Clayton had ever considered pulling out because of his pain.

“No, no, not because of this. It was always in my mind, I'm going to hold on, I'm going to strap my foot up and, you know, take medication and hopefully I get through.”

“I didn't expect much of tonight, but, you know, to win the night when you're not expecting anything, it's great.”

Clayton’s Gout History and Current Struggles

When asked about how long gout has affected him and how severe his flare-ups can be, Clayton explained that it first appeared during his Premier League debut in 2021. 

Back then it affected his elbow; this time, it’s his left ankle.

“I do suffer a lot with gout. Funnily enough, it was in my elbow when we'd done my first year in the Premier League, so it's moved now to my left ankle. but the thing is, it is what it is.”

“I don't want to miss these nights and, you know, it is what it is. I won tonight, so, I don't care about the gout.”

“I could go back, go to bed tonight, wake up tomorrow as if there's nothing there. It is weird, proper weird.”

European Tour in Germany: Clayton Likely to Sit Out

The next PDC European Tour tournament kicks off today in Gottingen, Germany. While Clayton entered, he is unlikely to compete given the current state of his ankle. If he does play, he would face the winner of Kevin Doets or Jonas Masalin in the second round on Saturday 14 March.

“I'll get up tomorrow morning and see how I feel.”

“I think I'm going to take this shoe off tonight and it's just going to say, wow, I'm here kind of thing, you know.”

“I doubt I'll be in Gottingen tomorrow, to be honest, because the way it's feeling now, it’s no chance,” he concluded.