Luke Littler believes he can seek out Phil Taylor’s document of 16 world titles after turning into the youngest ever PDC world darts champion.
The 17-year-old consolidated his standing as the most important star within the sport by profitable the PDC World Championship with a complete 7-3 victory over Michael van Gerwen in Friday’s last at Alexandra Palace in London.
Requested what he hoped to realize subsequent after securing his first world title, Littler instructed Sky Information: “I’ve stated beforehand, if I can win each main title in my profession then I’ll be completely satisfied. I’d like so as to add on the world titles, and deep down, if I need to break the document of Phil Taylor, I’ve received the flexibility to. If I need it, I’m certain I can do it.”
Littler added that the hardest match of his run to the Sid Waddell Trophy was the primary, a 3-1 victory towards Ryan Meikle. “I didn’t need to be there,” Littler stated of his first match on the Ally Pally since dropping final 12 months’s last to Luke Humphries. “To get previous that first sport meant so much, and I loved it from then onwards.”
“I simply need to try to win as many titles as I can this 12 months,” added Littler, who bounced again from defeat in final 12 months’s last by profitable the Premier League, World Sequence and Grand Slam of Darts titles this season. “I’ve began the 12 months off with one. However simply try to add on to that [this year] – perhaps win 10, 11 or 12 or much more titles.”
Littler’s emergence over the past 13 months after making the PDC world last as a 16-year-old debutant has modified the game and opened it as much as an entire new viewers. He has additionally earned greater than £1.5m in prize cash in that point – together with £500,000 for Friday’s win – and is now second solely to Humphries on the earth rankings.
Manchester United fan Littler additionally obtained a congratulatory message from the previous Crimson Devils midfielder and England captain, David Beckham. “He stated ‘wow, properly executed’, and I stated ‘thanks’,” Littler instructed Sky Information. “It simply goes to indicate how properly I’ve executed for the game. To see the likes of David Beckham watching it, it feels loopy.”
“I simply can’t imagine it, strolling round backstage with [the trophy], I can inform myself I’ve received it and it’s mine … nevertheless it’s not sunk in,” Littler, who turns 18 later this month, concluded. The game’s new famous person additionally earned an endorsement from Taylor, who received 14 PDC world titles and two BDO [British Darts Organisation] crowns between 1990 and 2013.
“He actually is a breath of contemporary air, and he’s given me the keenness to observe darts once more as a result of I didn’t watch it for just a few years after I retired, I wasn’t ,” Taylor instructed BBC Radio 4. With three titles, Van Gerwen is at present second on the PDC’s all-time honours record, 11 behind Taylor.
Littler’s former coach, Karl Holden, instructed the BBC that he’s removed from an in a single day success. “He’s spent 1000’s of hours dropping towards seasoned campaigners in darts and county gamers,” Holden stated. “You might want to be taught to win, and to win you’ve received to be taught to lose, and while you lose you don’t prefer it. That’s while you begin profitable.”
“Luke loves the large stage, he’s received bottle in abundance,” Holden added. “He’s received every thing, not simply the flexibility however the psychological energy and focus. He’s received so much this season, he’s not simply began getting good this week.”
The chief government of the Skilled Darts Company [PDC], Matt Porter, instructed Sky Information: “What Luke’s achieved over the past 12 months has opened up doorways for the game that have been closed to us earlier than. We’ve by no means had a young person on the prime of the world of darts earlier than.”
“I believe the most effective factor for Luke to do is preserve trusting the individuals round him – he must handle his schedule, take day without work and ensure he doesn’t burn out,” Porter added. “Our precedence round Luke is his consolation, his wellbeing and security. That allows him to supply his finest on the dartboard, as typically as he can.”
Whereas accepting that to even get near Taylor’s complete of 16 world titles could be “an unbelievable achievement,” Porter expects Littler to maintain selecting up silverware this season. “He’s received a really mature head on younger shoulders, he’s composed, calm – nothing fazes him,” he added.
“The possibilities of [Luke] having one other very robust 12 months are excessive. He’s received his eye on a lot extra titles in 2025. I’ve seen nothing to recommend he’ll do something aside from take [the world title] in his stride.”
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