Jonny Clayton Darts – "The Ferret" Red Dragon Darts at Diplomatgames

Jonny Clayton is one of the most successful Welsh dart players in modern PDC. The man from Carmarthenshire, nicknamed "The Ferret," is known for his calm, fluid throw, his immense strength on doubles, and a career that only really took off relatively late.

Clayton achieved his big breakthrough in 2020 and 2021. Together with Gerwyn Price, he first won the World Cup of Darts 2020 for Wales. 2021 then saw an exceptional year, in which The Ferret won four major TV titles: The Masters, Premier League, World Grand Prix, and World Series Finals.

In 2026, Clayton is once again among the absolute world elite. After returning to the Premier League, he won several match days, temporarily led the table, and reached the play-offs. There, he narrowly lost his semi-final 9-10 to Luke Humphries. The PDC ranked him 5th in the world rankings in August 2026.

Regarding equipment, the connection is also clear: Jonny Clayton plays Red Dragon Darts. Particularly current is the Hiraeth 90% Switch Point Series, developed in collaboration with him, which Red Dragon explicitly describes as Clayton's complete tour setup – including barrel, points, and his Nitro-Flite-Kite flights.

At Diplomatgames, you'll find Jonny Clayton Darts from Red Dragon and matching accessories. But which darts does Jonny Clayton play exactly, how heavy are his darts, and why is the Welshman called "The Ferret"? Here you'll learn more about the career, playing style, equipment, and life of the Welsh Major Champion.

Jonny Clayton's Profile

Name: Jonny Clayton
Nickname: The Ferret
Birthday: October 4, 1974
Birthplace: Pontyberem, Wales
Nationality: Wales
Throwing Hand: Right
Dart Manufacturer: Red Dragon Darts
Current Series: Jonny Clayton Hiraeth 90% Switch Point
Available Hiraeth Weights: 22 and 23 grams
Tungsten: 90%
Barrel Shape: Tapered
PDC World Ranking: 5th, as of August 2026
Premier League: Winner 2021
World Grand Prix: Winner 2021
Masters: Winner 2021
World Series Finals: Winner 2021
World Cup of Darts: Winner 2020 and 2023 with Gerwyn Price
Former Profession: Plasterer
Walk-on: "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry.

Who is Jonny Clayton?

Jonny Clayton was born on October 4, 1974, in Wales and is one of the late bloomers among today's PDC stars.

However, darts was part of his family very early on.

Clayton told Sky Sports that his:

mother, father, and grandmother

were enthusiastic dart players. Darts had therefore been an integral part of family life since his childhood.

Nevertheless, it did not initially lead to a full-time career.

For Clayton, darts was long:

a hobby and passion – but not his main profession.

From Welsh League Player to PDC Pro

Clayton played local and later national darts for years.

He was initially in the BDO system and switched to the PDC in the mid-2010s.

In 2015, he made the decisive step onto the professional tour.

Clayton was already over 40 years old at that time.

This distinguishes him greatly from players like Luke Littler, Gian van Veen, or Josh Rock, who arrived in the PDC system as teenagers or very young adults.

Clayton's great career began only at an age when many other professionals are already considering retirement.

And yet he remained a plasterer

Particularly noteworthy:

Even after Clayton became successful on the PDC Tour, he long retained his regular job.

He worked as a plasterer for Carmarthenshire County Council. Sky Sports explicitly reported in 2021 on his continued professional obligations.

Clayton even saw an advantage in this.

The work provided him with a balance.

He didn't have to constantly think about darts.

His attitude was essentially:

Go to the tournament, play, do your best, and then go home again.

This straightforwardness became an important part of his personality.

Why Jonny Clayton kept his job for so long

Even when Clayton had already earned a lot of money with darts, it was difficult for him to decide to give up his secure job.

He spoke publicly about how important the security of his normal job was to him and that he had long been hesitant to be solely dependent on darts.

Only after his great successes did he fully concentrate on his dart career.

Thus, his career path developed roughly as follows:

Plasterer → PDC Pro alongside his job → Major Champion → Full-time Dart Pro.

World Cup 2020 – the first really big title

A major turning point came in 2020.

At the PDC World Cup of Darts, Clayton competed alongside:

Gerwyn Price

for Wales.

The duo won the title.

For Clayton, it was his first truly big international PDC success and at the same time a milestone for Welsh darts.

However, it was only the beginning of his most successful career phase.

2021 – the year of Jonny Clayton

2021 was exceptional.

Clayton started the year by winning:

The Masters.

This victory also earned him an invitation to the Premier League.

And there, the underdog suddenly became a champion.

Premier League Champion 2021

Clayton entered the Premier League in 2021 as a debutant.

Even during the league phase, he showed that he could compete with the world's best.

He played several 100-plus averages and even threw a Nine-Darter against José de Sousa.

In the end, Clayton actually won:

the Premier League Darts 2021.

From a player who still treated his dart profession almost like a hobby, he had become one of the biggest TV champions in the PDC within a few months.

World Grand Prix Champion 2021

But Clayton didn't stop there.

In the same year, he also won the:

World Grand Prix.

This tournament is particularly demanding due to its double-in format.

Each leg must not only be finished on a double but also started on a double.

For a player with a strong double percentage, this format is ideal.

And that's exactly where Clayton proved his quality.

World Series Finals Champion 2021

That wasn't all yet.

Clayton also won the 2021:

World Series Finals.

Thus, The Ferret collected four major TV titles within a single calendar year:

Masters
Premier League
World Grand Prix
World Series Finals.

Such a concentrated phase of success has been experienced by only a few PDC players.

Jonny Clayton's greatest successes

His most important career successes include:

• Premier League Champion 2021
• The Masters Champion 2021
• World Grand Prix Champion 2021
• World Series Finals Champion 2021
• World Cup of Darts Champion 2020
• World Cup of Darts Champion 2023
• numerous Players Championship and ProTour successes
• several TV finals
• several Nine-Darters
• PDC World Ranking 5th in August 2026.

His four major titles from 2021, in particular, make Clayton one of the most successful Welsh players in PDC history.

Second World Cup title 2023

In 2023, Clayton, together with Gerwyn Price, achieved another great success.

Wales once again won the:

World Cup of Darts.

Thus, Clayton became:

two-time World Cup Champion.

The duo Clayton and Price is therefore one of the most successful national pairings in recent PDC history.

What is Jonny Clayton's playing style?

Jonny Clayton possesses a:

calm, fluid, and exceptionally natural throwing style.

He doesn't play extremely fast.

But he doesn't take an excessive amount of time either.

The three darts follow in a controlled rhythm.

His greatest strength is often timing.

Clayton can become particularly dangerous exactly when a leg needs to be decided.

Big checkouts and strong double percentages are therefore among his hallmarks.

The Ferret – calm, but extremely dangerous

Clayton's demeanor often appears friendly and relaxed.

However, this should not be confused with a lack of competitive toughness.

Sky Sports already described in 2021 the contrast between his sympathetic appearance and his very pronounced competitive spirit.

This fits perfectly with the nickname:

The Ferret.

Unobtrusive.

Fast.

Persistent.

And suddenly the leg is over.

Which darts does Jonny Clayton play?

Jonny Clayton currently plays:

Red Dragon Darts.

Particularly relevant in 2026 is the:

Jonny Clayton Hiraeth 90% Switch Point Series.

Red Dragon explicitly describes this model as:

Clayton's Signature Playing Setup – exactly as he throws on tour.

This is extremely valuable for your Diplomatgames page.

For many players, one has to distinguish between the retail model and the actual match setup.

With the Hiraeth version, Red Dragon makes an unusually clear statement.

What does "Hiraeth" mean?

"Hiraeth" is a Welsh term that cannot be fully translated with a single English word.

It roughly describes a deep:

longing for home, origin, and belonging.

The design of the Clayton series is based precisely on this.

Red Dragon explains that the surface and design were inspired by the Welsh valleys and mountains.

This fits perfectly with Clayton.

He regularly emphasizes how proud he is of his Welsh heritage.

Which version does Jonny Clayton play – 22g or 23g?

Here, a precise formulation is particularly important.

Red Dragon offers Clayton's Hiraeth Tour Setup in:

22 and 23 grams

and describes the overall model as his tour setup.

Historically, Clayton was often listed with 22 grams.

For a long-term Diplomatgames page, I would therefore write:

Jonny Clayton is particularly associated with a setup around 22 grams; his current Hiraeth Tour Series is offered by Red Dragon in 22 and 23 grams.

This avoids an unnecessarily rigid statement should he switch between variations.

Which Jonny Clayton darts are the right ones?

For Diplomatgames, I would position the models roughly as follows:

Hiraeth Switch Point: current model, explicitly designated by Red Dragon as his tour setup.

Original / Original 2.0: classic Clayton signature dart.

Oxide: darker alternative with different weight classes and finish.

Premier League SE: more focused on his Premier League success and fan/signature character.

This is much more helpful for customers than simply listing all models side by side.

Jonny Clayton and Red Dragon

Clayton has a very close connection to:

Red Dragon Darts.

The manufacturer has developed several of its own series for him over the years.

Currently, the range includes:

Hiraeth,
Original 2.0,
Oxide,
Premier League SE,
Softtip versions,
Flights
and other accessories.

This allows you to build a complete:

Jonny Clayton product world

at Diplomatgames.

Why is Jonny Clayton called "The Ferret"?

Clayton's nickname is:

"The Ferret".

The name now perfectly matches his player personality.

Clayton appears friendly and relatively unobtrusive, but can really dig into a match and is extremely persistent on crucial doubles.

British player profiles have listed "The Ferret" as his firm nickname for many years.

For your SEO structure, therefore:

The Ferret Darts

is also an important secondary term.

Jonny Clayton and "Johnny B. Goode"

His walk-on song is:

"Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry.

The song naturally fits perfectly with his first name.

Interestingly, Clayton's walk-on could apparently have looked quite different.

His wife Ellen is said to have once advised him against using "Mr Brightside" by The Killers. This very song later became extremely famous as Nathan Aspinall's walk-on.

A small coincidence in dart history.

Jonny Clayton privately – wife Ellen

Jonny Clayton is married to his wife:

Ellen

The couple has two children.

Clayton regularly speaks publicly about how important his family is to him.

Especially after a very difficult private phase, his wife and children helped him to rediscover his motivation for darts.

The death of his father

In 2023, Clayton lost his father John.

This loss affected him enormously.

Clayton described his father as his:

hero.

His father was a big darts fan himself and had repeatedly motivated Jonny to take his talent seriously.

After his death, Clayton temporarily lost practically all his motivation for the sport.

Jonny Clayton thought about quitting

Clayton later spoke unusually openly about it.

He sometimes didn't want to go to darts tournaments at all.

Wins or losses were almost meaningless to him at times.

Darts had lost its emotional value after his father's death.

He even thought about quitting completely.

With the support of his wife and children, the joy slowly returned.

The comeback in 2025 and 2026

In 2025, a significantly stronger Clayton emerged sportingly again.

For example, he won Players Championship 14 with an exceptionally dominant tournament performance.

At the World Matchplay 2025, he reached the:

semi-final.

The PDC reported at the time that Clayton had found his:

"hunger"

for the sport again.

This was particularly significant after his statements about the difficult time before.

Premier League 2026 – The Ferret is back

In 2026, Jonny Clayton returned to the Premier League.

And his return was extremely successful.

In Nottingham, he won Night Six.

In Brighton, he won Night Ten.

Just one week later, the very next success followed in Rotterdam.

With that, Clayton celebrated back-to-back Night Wins and had already accumulated four evening victories after eleven match days.

For a time, The Ferret led the entire Premier League table.

Premier League Play-offs 2026

Clayton eventually qualified for the:

Premier League Finals Night 2026.

In the semi-finals, he met:

Luke Humphries.

The match was extremely close.

Clayton lost:

9:10.

Thus, he missed the final by only a single leg.

Nevertheless, the season proved that Clayton, at over 50 years old, still belongs to the absolute world elite.

Players Championship Finals 2026

Clayton also remained dangerous on the ProTour.

In 2026, for example, he reached finals at:

Players Championship 16
and
Players Championship 19.

At PC16, he lost the final against Andrew Gilding 3:8.

At PC19, he reached the final again and lost to Jeffrey de Graaf 5:8.

The fact that Clayton regularly reaches finals underscores his enormous consistency.

World Ranking Position 5

As of August 2026, the PDC lists Jonny Clayton at:

Number 5 in the PDC Order of Merit.

Despite his comparatively advanced age, he still ranks among the top five players in the world.

That is remarkable.

Many of his current competitors are 20 or even 30 years younger.

Clayton still keeps up.

Jonny Clayton's Hobbies and Interests

Besides darts, Clayton has a strong connection to:

Rugby.

He used to play rugby himself and explained to Sky Sports that he particularly liked the attitude:

show up, play, do your best, and then go home.

He long transferred this uncomplicated attitude to his darts career as well.

He is far less focused on a celebrity lifestyle than some other professionals.

His public priorities remain:

Family, Wales, Darts, and Sports.

Proud Welshman

Clayton regularly emphasizes his Welsh identity.

He explicitly described himself to Sky Sports as a:

proud Welshman.

This origin is now also strongly reflected in his equipment.

The Hiraeth series is deliberately designed to embody:

Welsh landscape, sense of home, and heritage

.

Thus, the product story is exceptionally well connected with the personal player story.

Jonny Clayton – From Plasterer to Premier League Champion

His story is one of the best late-starter careers in modern darts.

For decades:

normal profession.

Plasterer at the County Council.

Darts as a hobby.

At over 40:

PDC Tour Card.

2020:

World Cup Champion.

2021:

Masters Champion.

Then:

Premier League Champion.

World Grand Prix Champion.

World Series Finals Champion.

2023:

second World Cup.

2025:

strong comeback.

2026:

again a Premier League top player and world number five.

The Welsh plasterer became:

The Ferret – one of the most successful darts players of his generation.

Buy Jonny Clayton Darts at Diplomatgames

Do you want to buy Jonny Clayton darts or try out The Ferret's setup?

At Diplomatgames, you will find various Jonny Clayton darts from Red Dragon as well as matching accessories, subject to availability.

Particularly interesting are:

Jonny Clayton Hiraeth 90% Switch Point
Jonny Clayton Original 2.0
Jonny Clayton Oxide Edition
Jonny Clayton Premier League SE

as well as matching flights and other Red Dragon accessories.

For maximum proximity to the current tour setup, I would particularly highlight the:

Hiraeth Switch Point

Red Dragon explicitly describes them as Clayton's complete tour configuration, including his long 37.5mm points and Nitro-Flite-Kite-Flights.

The steel version is available in:

22g and 23g.

When buying, still compare:

weight, barrel shape, grip strength, grip position, and point length.

Discover the available Jonny Clayton darts at Diplomatgames now and find out which Ferret setup best suits your personal throw.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about Jonny Clayton

Which darts does Jonny Clayton play?

Jonny Clayton plays Red Dragon Darts. Particularly current is the Hiraeth 90% Switch Point series, which Red Dragon explicitly calls Clayton's complete tour setup.

How many grams does Jonny Clayton play with?

Clayton is traditionally strongly associated with a setup around 22 grams. His current Hiraeth tour series is available as steel darts in 22 and 23 grams.

What is Jonny Clayton's greatest success?

Clayton holds several major titles. 2021 was particularly exceptional, when he won the Masters, Premier League, World Grand Prix, and World Series Finals within one year.

How many times did Jonny Clayton win the World Cup?

Jonny Clayton is a two-time World Cup champion. He won in 2020 and 2023 together with Gerwyn Price for Wales.

Did Jonny Clayton win the Premier League?

Yes. Clayton won the Premier League 2021 in his first participation. In 2026, he returned, won several match days, and again reached the Play-offs.

What is Jonny Clayton's world ranking position?

As of August 2026, Jonny Clayton is ranked 5th in the PDC World Rankings.

What did Jonny Clayton used to work as?

Clayton worked for many years as a plasterer at Carmarthenshire County Council and kept the job even during his early PDC successes.

Why is Jonny Clayton called “The Ferret”?

“The Ferret” has been Clayton's official nickname for many years. The name fits well with his tenacious playing style and his ability to dig in during close matches.

What does Hiraeth mean for Jonny Clayton Darts?

“Hiraeth” is a Welsh term for a deep longing or emotional connection to home and heritage. Red Dragon deliberately designed the series as a tribute to Clayton and his Welsh roots.

Which points does Jonny Clayton use?

The current Hiraeth tour configuration comes with 37.5mm Silver Chain Pro Switch Points.

Which flights does Jonny Clayton use?

Red Dragon supplies his current Hiraeth tour setup with Jonny Clayton Signature Nitro Flite Kite Flights in a short setup and describes these as his actual match configuration.

Is Jonny Clayton married?

Yes. Clayton is married to Ellen. The couple has two children.

What is Jonny Clayton's walk-on song?

Clayton walks on to “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry.

Where can I buy Jonny Clayton Darts?

You can buy Jonny Clayton Darts at Diplomatgames. Depending on availability, you'll find Red Dragon Hiraeth, Original, Oxide, Premier League Edition, and matching accessories there.