Luke Littler shows true colours with message to darts icon Wayne Mardle after making return to Sky Sports coverage

DARTS satellite champion Luke Littler has congratulated Wayne Mardle connected his instrumentality to the commentary box.

Mardle, 51, was backmost connected the mic connected Thursday for the archetypal clip since the death of his woman Donna.

The fashionable Sky Sports commentator called the shots for Littler's Premier League opener with Michael van Gerwen.

Mardle's instrumentality was not antecedently announced by the broadcaster.

And fans were delighted to spot "the GOAT" backmost successful the booth pursuing much than a period away.

Donna, 52, passed distant shortly earlier the PDC World Championships successful December aft a abbreviated illness.

Littler would spell connected to lift the trophy astatine Ally Pally.

He was among the archetypal successful the darts assemblage to invited Mardle backmost to comms connected Thursday night.

Littler wrote connected X alongside a bosom emoji: "Great to person you backmost @Wayne501Mardle."

Mardle completed different stint connected commentary for MVG's semi-final with Luke Humphries.

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He aboriginal took to societal media aft the season-opener successful Belfast.

An affectional Mardle simply wrote: "I needed that".

On stage, it was a disappointing nighttime for defending champion Littler.

The Nuke was beaten 6-5 successful a quarter-final thriller with three-time satellite champ van Gerwen.

Littler averaged an outrageous 113.91 but was edged retired by the Dutchman successful a rematch of their world last from past month.

Before the contest, Mighty Mike had called retired the teen for being precocious to a Premier League promotional event.

MVG told reporters: "They request to halt treating him similar a baby.

"He's not a babe anymore, he's 18 years aged now.

"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."

Responding to van Gerwen's comments, Littler told Sky: "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."