Phil Taylor convinced Luke Littler following in Wayne Rooney’s footsteps after World Darts Championship victory

PHIL TAYLOR reckons Luke Littler possesses the same “killer” instinct that Wayne Rooney had when he emerged as a prodigious football talent.

And The Power admits his shopping trips are constantly disrupted by punters wanting to stop and talk to him about The Nuke as he picks out the most edible fruit and veg!

Phil Taylor reckons Luke Littler possesses the same ‘killer’ instinct that Wayne Rooney

News Group Newspapers LtdRooney burst onto the scene after scoring a stunner for Everton at the age of 16 against David Seaman in 2002[/caption]

GettyWazza went on to win 16 major trophies with Manchester United[/caption]

Taylor – the sport’s greatest player with 16 world championships – is full of admiration for young Littler, who sensationally lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy this month at the age of 17.

Rooney was 16 when he made his Premier League breakthrough – he scored THAT goal against David Seaman in October 2002 while playing for Everton – and made his England debut four months later aged 17.

Taylor, 64, told SunSport: “Luke has a tremendous temperament. He’s a cracking little lad. For a 17-year-old, he’s brilliant.

“Honestly I have never seen anything like him. Apart from Wayne Rooney.

“I can see parallels. They come across as really nice people, which they are. But when they’re on that pitch or the dartboard, they are killers! There’s no stopping them.

“You have to go out and beat him. You cannot expect them to play bad against you. Because they won’t.”

Littler’s first game as the ‘reigning world champion’ is on Thursday evening in round one of the Bahrain Darts Masters.

He has not thrown a dart in practice until arriving in the Middle East, choosing to take a well-earned rest after thrashing Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in a thrilling Ally Pally final.

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Taylor said: “I couldn’t do that. Not me. Not a chance. I used to win the world championship and I was on the practice board the day after.

“Even if it was only for half an hour. I could be in tiptoe condition and then I’d take two days off and it’d knock me back two weeks.

“I had to practice. Luke might be more natural than me. It’s like when you go to the gym, if you’ve a couple of weeks off, it takes you about a month to get back into it.

“When you win the world championship, you put a bullseye on your back. You’ve got to play out of your skin.

“Bahrain will be a big test for young Luke. Let’s see how he gets on.
“I cannot wait to watch it.

“The pressure will be on him to perform and play well, which I’m sure he will.”

Taylor’s love affair with a sport he used to dominate has grown thanks to Littler’s extraordinary exploits over the past 13 months.

Littler was crowned world champion at the start of January

GettyLittler’s first game as the ‘reigning world champion’ is on Thursday evening in round one of the Bahrain Darts Masters[/caption]

Where in the past he may have given it a miss, especially in the years immediately following his retirement from the pron ranks in 2018, he is now glued to the sport on TV.

Yet he is finding his visits to the supermarket are taking longer and longer due to Littler’s emergence.

Taylor said: “Luke has taken darts to another level. Everybody, trust me, is talking about him.

“I only went to the supermarket on Monday. People asked me: ‘What do you think of this Luke Littler?’

“I normally sit in the car and ask my partner to go in. ‘I don’t want to answer all the questions anymore, I’ve had enough!’

“I might have it 20 times going round the supermarket. The biggest question is: ‘Will he be able to keep it up?’

ReutersTaylor, who has won a record 16 titles, said Luke might be more of a natural than him[/caption]

“I say: ‘Of course, he can. He’s 17.’ It’s all about how he does it. Does he get his rest? Does he avoid burning himself out?

“He has got a good mum and dad around him. His brother is a nice kid. His manager is good. So far he’s doing everything right.”

Fans can catch Taylor live on Pluto TV this Saturday as he commentates on the Legends League in the Modus Super Series.

Pluto TV, a streaming service, will exclusively showcase Super Series tournaments, 104 live matches every week and in-depth features and documentaries.