It’s a team ethic – Gerwyn Price critical of England pair Littler and Humphries

Gerwyn Price has stuck the boot into Luke Littler and Luke Humphries after he insisted their lack of unity contributed towards England’s “rubbish” performance at the World Cup of Darts.

Price and Welsh compatriot Jonny Clayton finished runners-up in Frankfurt after losing a last-leg shootout against Northern Irish duo Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney.

Northern Ireland were surprise winners, but missed out on a potential semi-final showdown with England after Littler and Humphries were dumped out at the last-16 stage following an 8-4 defeat to hosts Germany.

Littler and Humphries, who both received MBEs in the King’s Birthday Honours, were made to pay for missed doubles, with the 18-year-old again booed and unable to produce his best in a country where he has endured past disappointment.

Wales’ Price was happy to jibe the English pair in his post-match press conference after a 10-9 loss to Northern Ireland in the final.

“Germany were good in their first game weren’t they?! Who did they play? I can’t remember,” Price laughed.

“I think you need a connection, you need to have that camaraderie off the stage and that connection.

“All the teams when we first turned up on the first day, and I’m not just saying this because they lost, the only two players that didn’t turn up together, didn’t sit together, didn’t play as a team. I’m not saying who they are, but they didn’t win their first game.

“No, you need it. You need to turn up together, be as a team, turn up as a team, practice together, sit together and it’s a team ethic. It didn’t show with England and it showed on the board. They are great players individually, but you need to be a team.

“You need that team ethic and you need to be together as a team all the way through, but it didn’t happen. I wanted them to do well, but they didn’t.

“I did, I’m not just saying that because I want to make some fans or anything. I did, I wanted them to do well but they were rubbish!”