I’m still playing in my local darts league while starring alongside Luke Littler and Co – I’m unbeaten in three years

STEPHEN BUNTING has revealed that helium inactive plays successful his section darts league.

The No8-ranked subordinate successful the satellite is getting acceptable for this weekend's Players Championship Finals.

But the down-to-earth prima is keen to ne'er hide his roots successful the sport, and inactive loves to play locally with his mates.

Speaking to Ladbrokes up of the Players Championship Finals, Bunting opened up connected however continuing to play with his pals helps him astatine the large events.

He said: "I've got sessions booked successful with a person and I had section darts connected Tuesday night, truthful I person been capable to get out... I volition beryllium acceptable for the Players Championship this weekend, for sure. 

"The section darts is large - I'll ne'er hide my roots, and I've been playing for the past 3 years now, I think.

"I truly bask it; it's my lone nighttime retired done the week truthful I emotion seeing my mates and having a bully clip with them.

"I play dominoes arsenic well, but we mislaid past night, truthful I won't speech astir that excessively much!"

Despite his pro presumption Bunting does not spell casual connected his mates, boasting an imperious grounds astatine section level.

He added: "I don't deliberation I've mislaid a crippled successful the section league successful the past 3 years - I can't deliberation of one, anyhow - truthful I've got rather a bully record.

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"I played truly good past night, truthful that gives maine bully hopes going into this weekend. Even though it's section league, you're inactive picking up bits of assurance from however good you're playing successful it.

"Sometimes it's really harder to play section league due to the fact that you're expected to triumph - and you've got the added unit of being successful a team, truthful you don't privation to fto your team-mates down.

"The unit of that is immense, but I conscionable similar being retired with my mates."

Bunting, 39, has witnessed the unthinkable emergence of darts this twelvemonth archetypal hand, and has nary qualms astir recognising Luke Littler's singular impact.

On the teenage wonderkid, Bunting said: "I get asked astir Luke Littler truthful overmuch - I've already been asked astir him 3 times contiguous and it's lone 10am!

"He's a phenomenon, to beryllium honest. People similar him don't travel astir each day. Even erstwhile you look astatine what helium was doing connected the younker circuit... radical were gathering him up, but you ne'er cognize what's going to hap until helium gets up connected those stages.

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"Me, personally, I thought helium could person perchance struggled, conscionable due to the fact that of the quality successful assemblage sizes and the thought of playing successful beforehand of thousands of people, week-in, week-out. But he's conscionable been a revelation, to beryllium honest. He's taken to things similar a duck to water.

"He's specified a bully lad, arsenic well; radical don't spot the subordinate oregon the idiosyncratic that we get to spot successful the backmost room... he's precise unassuming, he'll beryllium sat determination watching either Man United connected his phone, oregon cartoons, oregon immoderate it is helium watches!

"He conscionable seems to person his caput screwed connected and I privation him each success... unless he's playing me. 

"Luke's brought truthful overmuch attraction to our crippled from a younger assemblage - I've adjacent noticed it myself. I went to JD for a brace of trainers, not agelong back, and determination indispensable person been astir 15 to 20 kids pursuing maine successful for pictures and autographs!

"That's ne'er happened before... that's the Luke Littler effect. It tin lone marque our crippled bigger and better, and ultimately, prize wealth is lone going to spell up, the much involvement determination is.

"It's an absorbing times for darts - we're each precise fortunate to beryllium playing successful the epoch of Luke."