Luke Littler parades trophy at Old Trafford after 'Man Utd syndrome' warning

Manchester United's decision astatine location to Brighton came with satellite darts champion Luke Littler present, and 'The Nuke' paraded the Sid Waddell Trophy astatine Old Trafford

Darts satellite champion Luke Littler paraded his trophy connected the Old Trafford transportation during Manchester United's Premier League lucifer against Brighton but couldn't animate them to victory.

Littler, who turns 18 connected Tuesday, is simply a United instrumentality who has regularly chimed successful connected the team's struggles this season. In aboriginal January, he called connected the Red Devils to determination for Dani Olmo amid uncertainty implicit the Barcelona star's registration.

While the squad helium supports person struggled connected the pitch, Littler showed a winning mentality astatine Ally Pally astir the crook of the year. After losing the satellite last to Luke Humphries successful 2024, helium went 1 amended this clip astir with an assured triumph implicit Michael van Gerwen.

With 45 minutes gone against Brighton, the teen was fixed the state of Old Trafford. He held the Sid Waddell Trophy aloft, with mascot Fred the Red successful adjacent attraction arsenic helium walked crossed the turf.

United went down aboriginal astatine location to Fabian Hurzeler's Seagulls, with Bruno Fernandes bringing them level astatine the interruption erstwhile helium converted a penalty, but Brighton scored 2 much aft the interruption to assertion victory. While Littler has shown fewer nerves connected the biggest of stages, former satellite champion Phil Taylor precocious warned him astir "Man Utd syndrome".

"If helium wants to bushed my world record, past helium tin spell up and bash it," Taylor told the PA quality agency. "It's going to beryllium difficult, to triumph 16 titles you are going to person to beryllium successful a batch of finals.

"It's a batch of darts, a batch of hotels, a batch of miles travelling. He'd person to play for the adjacent 20 years to get adjacent to my grounds and for 20 years he's got to beryllium dedicated and marque definite helium does everything right.

"It's hard erstwhile you are young and you person wealth successful the bank. I was 30 erstwhile I won for the archetypal time, truthful I'd done each that before. You get what I utilized to telephone the Man Utd syndrome – and Liverpool person got it arsenic good – wherever everybody raises their crippled against you, truthful you person to beryllium astatine your champion successful each round."

Will Luke Littler interruption Phil Taylor's record? Have your accidental successful the comments section

Littler wasn't capable to travel his satellite rubric triumph with occurrence astatine the Bahrain Darts Masters. He bushed Van Gerwen successful the last of the 2024 edition, but Gerwyn Price ended his 2025 tally astatine the quarter-final stage.

The satellite champion averaged much than 105 during the last-eight clash, but Price was connected apical signifier with a 115 mean to triumph 6-2. The Welshman made it to the final, but fell abbreviated against World Championship semi-finalist Stephen Bunting.

"Not my nighttime but large crippled @Gezzyprice," Littler wrote connected societal media aft that loss. "Heading location for a fewer days past looking guardant to the dutch darts masters."

Join our caller MAN UTD WhatsApp assemblage and person your regular dose of Manchester United contented from Mirror Football. We besides dainty our assemblage members to peculiar offers, promotions, and adverts from america and our partners. If you don't similar our community, you tin cheque retired immoderate clip you like. If you're curious, you tin work ourPrivacy Notice.