PHIL TAYLOR was left stunned at Luke Littler’s lack of practice after the World Championships.
The teen sensation beat Michael van Gerwen to claim the biggest prize of his short career so far.
Phil Taylor would start practising the day after winning a title in his careerRex
GettyLuke Littler has not thrown a dart since becoming the world champion[/caption]
Littler, 17, has since not thrown a dart in practice after taking a well-earned rest after thrashing the Dutchman 7-3 in a thrilling Ally Pally final.
His first game as the ‘reigning world champion’ is this evening in round one of the Bahrain Darts Masters.
Taylor has insisted that there was “no chance” he could have followed in Littler’s footsteps in terms of not practising.
He told SunSport: “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.
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“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.”
Luke Littler prize money breakdown
Here is all the prize money Luke Littler has won so far after being crowned 2025 PDC World Darts Championship winner:
World Championship 2025 – £500,000
World Championship 2024 – £200,000
Grand Slam of Darts 2024 – £150,000
European Tour – £91,000
Player Championships events – £71,500
Players Championship final runner-up – £60,000
UK Open 2023 + 2024 – £17,500
World Matchplay – £10,000
World Grand Prix – £7,500
European Championship – £7,500
(Unranked) Premier League Darts – £315,000
TOTAL: £1.43 million
And The Power, 64, 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!
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.
He said: “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.”
Taylor’s love affair with a sport he used to dominate has grown thanks to Littler’s extraordinary exploits over the past 13 months.
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?’
“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.
Premier League Darts 2025: Dates and venues
Night 1 – The SSE Arena, Belfast – Thursday February 6
Night 2 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow – Thursday February 13
Night 3 – 3Arena, Dublin – Thursday February 20
Night 4 – Westpoint Exeter – Thursday February 27
Night 5 – The Brighton Centre – Thursday March 6
Night 6 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham – Thursday March 13
Night 7 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff – Thursday March 20
Night 8 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle – Thursday March 27
Night 9 – Uber Arena, Berlin – Thursday April 3
Night 10 – AO Arena, Manchester – Thursday April 10
Night 11 – Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam – Thursday April 17
Night 12 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool – Thursday April 24
Night 13 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham, Thursday May 1
Night 14 – First Direct Arena, Leeds – Thursday May 8
Night 15 – P&J Live, Aberdeen – Thursday May 15
Night 16 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield – Thursday May 22
Play-Offs – The O2, London – Thursday May 29
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