Luke Littler sends heartwarming message to Wayne Mardle on Sky Sports icon’s TV return

Wayne Mardle made his instrumentality to the commentary container for the PDC Premier League connected Thursday nighttime aft taking a interruption owed to the tragic passing of his woman Donna

Luke Littler warmly welcomed Wayne Mardle back to the darts commentary container aft a interruption owed to the heartbreaking nonaccomplishment of his wife, Donna. The 51-year-old pundit returned to Sky Sports for the commencement of the Premier League play connected Thursday.

Mardle had taken a measurement backmost from the World Championship pursuing his wife's death, which happened earlier the tournament. After much than a period away, the ex-darts prima was backmost successful action, joining Rod Studd to commentate connected reigning world champion Luke Littler's archetypal lucifer of the caller play against Michael van Gerwen.

His instrumentality was felt by colleagues, fans and players alike, with the 18-year-old Littler taking to societal media aft his constrictive 6-5 decision to the Dutchman to honour Mardle. After the commentator expressed his alleviation astatine being backmost astatine work, penning connected X: "I needed that", Littler responded with: "Great to person you back".

Despite his extended absence, Mardle didn't notation the crushed for his clip distant during the breathtaking match. His lack astatine the clip was announced by chap presenter Emma Paton, who said: "If you are a regular spectator of Sky Sports Darts, you volition announcement that Wayne is not present with america this evening.

"Wayne is the bosom and psyche of everything we bash present astatine Sky Sports Darts. But the bosom of his world, his fantastic woman Donna, sadly passed distant earlier this week aft a abbreviated illness. We volition beryllium remembering Donna passim this tournament. Wayne, you are successful our thoughts, you are successful our hearts, we emotion you precise much. And we volition spot you precise soon," reports the Express.

He had rather the lucifer to instrumentality to, with Van Gerwen claiming a thrilling triumph implicit Littler contempt the teen averaging a higher people of 113.91. The fig ranks arsenic the highest ever achieved successful Belfast and the second-highest mean successful a decision successful Premier League history.

Littler's constrictive decision to his rival came days aft helium was criticised by the Dutch darts icon for arriving 45 minutes precocious to a photoshoot connected Wednesday. The teen overslept for the photograph session, leaving his chap Premier League players waiting arsenic Van Gerwen offered a staunch informing to PDC bosses to "stop treating him similar a baby".

"He's not a babe anymore, he's 18 years aged now, the 35-year-old said. "It happens. He has to learn. You person to larn the hard way. It's a nonrecreational athletics truthful you person to beryllium liable for your actions. Simple arsenic that. If helium turns up precocious for an interview, I don't mind! But 7 different radical are waiting for him. That's not precise nice, is it?"