Luke Littler ‘doing other players’ heads in’ as Phil Taylor backs darts sensation, 17, to win world championship

PHIL TAYLOR would not stake against Luke Littler becoming the youngest satellite darts champion successful history.

And the Power reckons Littler’s elemental pre-match routines astatine tournaments are “doing the different players’ heads in” arsenic they conflict to header with the teen connected the oche.

Littler, 17, is the tourney favourite for the PDC World Darts Championship, which starts adjacent period astatine Ally Pally.

Ten rubric wins successful 2024 – the latest was last weekend’s Grand Slam of Darts successful Wolverhampton – has seen him emergence up to 5th spot successful the satellite rankings.

Should helium proceed this fantabulous form, determination is simply a large accidental helium volition person the Sid Waddell Trophy travel the evening of January 3.

And if helium did that, helium would eclipse the feat of Dutch prodigy Jelle Klaasen, who became Lakeside champion aged 21 years aged successful January 2006 erstwhile helium bushed Raymond van Barneveld 7–5 successful the final.

Taylor, 64, has a grounds 16 satellite titles to his sanction – the first, successful the BDO, was achieved successful 1990 – and helium hopes that people remains unmatched implicit the coming decades arsenic Littler inevitably gets better.

The erstwhile satellite No.1 said: “I’ll archer you what though, if there’s anybody that could bash it, it’s this young lad now.

“He has got the property connected his broadside and the quality – you ne'er know. You ne'er cognize with him.

“I person seen players travel and spell implicit the years. It’s a substance of being dedicated.

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“Money isn’t his information judge it oregon not. He isn’t truly that bothered.

“I was with him a mates of weeks ago. He conscionable plays connected his game. He is simply a emblematic teenager.

“He isn’t motivated by prize money. It’s great, don’t get maine wrong.

"But he’s much funny successful looking aft his parent and begetter than winning tournaments.

“It’s beauteous to see. I person seen truthful galore players wherever they commencement earning wealth and that ruins their career.

“But this lad, helium conscionable sits there, he’s quiescent arsenic a mouse. He’s beauteous institution to beryllium with.

“He doesn’t drink. He conscionable sits there, helium has a game. He’s doing the different players’ heads in!

“They told me. They said, helium conscionable sits there, helium doesn’t bash anything. He hardly practises. He indispensable practise evidently due to the fact that he’s that good. But by ’eck, what a player.”

The gully for the 2024/25 World Championship takes spot connected Monday day successful cardinal London, the time aft the decision to the Players Championship Finals astatine Butlin’s Minehead.

Luke Humphries – who bushed Littler 7-4 successful the 2024 last – is the defending champion and volition stay arsenic satellite No.1 immoderate happens implicit the Christmas period.

Asked by talkSPORT’s Jeff Stelling if Littler volition triumph the Worlds, Taylor responded: “I wouldn’t stake against him.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t stake against him. Definitely person him arsenic an each-way bet.”