Luke Littler shows true colours in Michael van Gerwen defeat despite war of words

Luke Litter sided with Michael van Gerwen during their Premier League clash contempt their warfare of words with the teen urging the assemblage to easiness disconnected the Dutchman

Littler reacted urged the assemblage not to boo Michael van Gerwen arsenic the Dutchman stepped up to present his telling stroke during their clash connected Thursday night.

The recently crowned world champion went retired successful the opening circular of the archetypal nighttime of the Premier League Darts - losing to the antheral helium bushed astatine Alexandra Palace past month.

The teenage sensation posted an astonishing mean of 113.91 - the second-highest losing mean successful the 21-year past of the Premier League. Littler had the accidental to triumph the crippled but narrowly missed the treble 19 helium needed to past acceptable up a bullseye checkout.

It presented Van Gerwen with the accidental to decorativeness disconnected the encounter, but the assemblage began booing successful an effort to enactment him disconnected his stride. Littler wagged his digit astatine the assemblage telling them not to jeer the 35-year-old.

He could person easy fto the assemblage spell aft the Dutchman. Earlier successful the week Van Gerwen had taken purpose astatine Littler for turning up 45 minutes precocious to a Premier League Darts photoshoot.

He said: "They request to halt treating him arsenic a baby. He’s not a babe anymore, he’s 18 years old. 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, elemental arsenic that. If helium turns up precocious for an interview, I don’t truly mind. But 7 different radical were waiting for him, that’s not truly nice. But it is what it is."

Littler responded up of his lucifer with Van Gerwen and said: "I ever fto my darts bash the talking. But helium [Van Gerwen] is not wrong. I was late. I'm 18 present and I'm liable for my actions and I did get a small telling off."

Littler whitethorn person mislaid his Premier League opener but Luke Humphries, who was the satellite champion earlier Littler, insists the teen is inactive the antheral to beat. He told Sky Sports : "Littler, the mode he's playing is unbelievable. You're watching that crippled against Van Gerwen and you volition beryllium precise fortunate for anyone to lucifer different crippled similar that.

"He's by acold 1 of the top darts players I've seen successful my career. I'm not disrespecting myself, but I deliberation he's the champion subordinate successful the world. If helium goes out, I'm the 1 to bushed but he's decidedly the antheral to beat. He plays darts astatine specified a large pace. He smashes successful the trebles and doubles.

"This is what happened to maine past year. There's a people connected your back, everyone wants to bushed you. You mean implicit 100 and radical bushed you."