Luke Littler ‘doing other players’ heads in’ as Phil Taylor backs darts sensation, 17, to win world championship
PHIL TAYLOR would not bet against Luke Littler becoming the youngest world darts champion in history.
And the Power reckons Littler’s simple pre-match routines at tournaments are “doing the other players’ heads in” as they struggle to cope with the teenager on the oche.
Littler, 17, is the tournament favourite for the PDC World Darts Championship, which starts next month at Ally Pally.
Ten title wins in 2024 – the latest was last weekend’s Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton – has seen him rise up to fifth spot in the world rankings.
Should he continue this excellent form, there is a great chance he will receive the Sid Waddell Trophy come the evening of January 3.
And if he did that, he would eclipse the feat of Dutch prodigy Jelle Klaasen, who became Lakeside champion aged 21 years old in January 2006 when he beat Raymond van Barneveld 7–5 in the final.
Taylor, 64, has a record 16 world titles to his name – the first, in the BDO, was achieved in 1990 – and he hopes that mark remains unmatched over the coming decades as Littler inevitably gets better.
The former world No.1 said: “I’ll tell you what though, if there’s anybody that could do it, it’s this young lad now.
“He has got the age on his side and the ability – you never know. You never know with him.
“I have seen players come and go over the years. It’s a matter of being dedicated.
Inside Littler's massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship at the beginning of the year.
The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way.
He has then gone on to win a host of PDC events and the Premier League title – which he claimed at the O2 Arena by beating world champion Luke Humphries in May.
He also finished his first season in the World Series as the No1 ranked player.
He has joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE.
The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire.
He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle.
And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal.
But he is newly single after splitting from girlfriend Eloise Milburn following a 10-month relationship.
Check out all of our latest Luke Littler stories.
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“Money isn’t his motivation believe it or not. He isn’t really that bothered.
“I was with him a couple of weeks ago. He just plays on his game. He is a typical teenager.
“He isn’t motivated by prize money. It’s great, don’t get me wrong.
“But he’s more interested in looking after his mother and father than winning tournaments.
“It’s lovely to see. I have seen so many players where they start earning money and that ruins their career.
“But this lad, he just sits there, he’s quiet as a mouse. He’s lovely company to be with.
“He doesn’t drink. He just sits there, he has a game. He’s doing the other players’ heads in!
“They told me. They said, he just sits there, he doesn’t do anything. He hardly practises. He must practise obviously because he’s that good. But by ’eck, what a player.”
The draw for the 2024/25 World Championship takes place on Monday afternoon in central London, the day after the conclusion to the Players Championship Finals at Butlin’s Minehead.
Luke Humphries – who beat Littler 7-4 in the 2024 final – is the defending champion and will remain as world No.1 whatever happens over the Christmas period.
Asked by talkSPORT’s Jeff Stelling if Littler will win the Worlds, Taylor responded: “I wouldn’t bet against him.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t bet against him. Definitely have him as an each-way bet.”
List of all-time Darts World Champions
BELOW is a list of Darts world champions by year.
The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions.
That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once – Barney also won four BDO titles – and none of Eric Bristow’s five BDO titles are included.
- 1994 – Dennis Priestley
- 1995 – Phil Taylor
- 1996 – Phil Taylor (2)
- 1997 – Phil Taylor (3)
- 1998 – Phil Taylor (4)
- 1999 – Phil Taylor (5)
- 2000 – Phil Taylor (6)
- 2001 – Phil Taylor (7)
- 2002 – Phil Taylor (8)
- 2003 – John Part
- 2004 – Phil Taylor (9)
- 2005 – Phil Taylor (10)
- 2006 – Phil Taylor (11)
- 2007 – Raymond van Barneveld
- 2008 – John Part (2)
- 2009 – Phil Taylor (12)
- 2010 – Phil Taylor (13)
- 2011 – Adrian Lewis
- 2012 – Adrian Lewis (2)
- 2013 – Phil Taylor (14)
- 2014 – Michael van Gerwen
- 2015 – Gary Anderson
- 2016 – Gary Anderson (2)
- 2017 – Michael van Gerwen (2)
- 2018 – Rob Cross
- 2019 – Michael van Gerwen (3)
- 2020 – Peter Wright
- 2021 – Gerwyn Price
- 2022 – Peter Wright (2)
- 2023 – Michael Smith
- 2024 – Luke Humphries
Most World Titles
- 14 – Phil Taylor
- 3 – Michael van Gerwen
- 2 – John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright
- 1 – Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries