Luke Littler CONFIRMED for lucrative Premier League darts tournament after record-breaking World Championship final
DELIGHTED Luke Littler says being part of the £1million Premier League is the stuff of dreams and an opportunity too good to turn down.
But the teen sensation – who turns 17 this month – has allayed burnout fears from playing week-in, week-out for FOUR solid months following a chat with his parents.
As a reward for reaching the PDC World Darts final where he lost 7-4 to Luke Humphries, Littler will be part of the eight-player invitational event that kick-offs in Cardiff on February 1.
His inclusion in the invitation-only tournament was announced on Sky Sports news.
And the teen sensation sent a warning to his rivals, saying: “This time I don’t have school in the morning.”
Warrington-based Littler said: “I can’t wait – obviously Manchester and Liverpool are very close to my hometown.
“I’m looking forward to the magnificent Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin as well as trips to Cardiff and Brighton. It’s going to be an amazing experience.
“Playing darts week-in, week-out, in front of tens of thousands of fans, against the world’s best players is a dream come true.
“I’ve watched all the darts before. It’ll be an amazing experience for myself and I am glad I have the opportunity. It will be a good test for myself.
“But that’s the nature of the Premier League – I’ve just got to do what I do and show why I’m there every week.”
Littler will play alongside world No.1 Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, Nathan Aspinall, Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright and Rob Cross in a tournament where the winner can earn more than £275,000.
The Prem is staged in cities in six different countries – England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Holland and Ireland.
However big name players such as Chris Dobey, Stephen Bunting, Joe Cullen, Danny Noppert and James Wade all miss out.
Littler’s inclusion was revealed in a video played on Sky Sports News in which he made a jokey reference to the fact he does not have school in the morning – despite what the Ally Pally crowd may cheekily sing.
A record peak audience of 3.71million people watched his final clash with Humphries and the incredible TV figures that have accompanied his games are why he has become Box Office.
Gary Anderson, the two-time world darts champion, did express concerns during the Worlds about Littler doing too much too soon.
Littler, 16, said: “That’s what everyone has been saying – will it help me or will it put me off?
“But I have the opportunity. I sat down with my mum and dad, who said it’s going to be difficult to play every week in the Premier League, the Pro Tour and potentially the European Tour as well.
“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to play in the Premier League.
“It’s the stuff of dreams.
“It’s probably the second-biggest competition of the year in darts and it was too good to turn down.
“It fills my diary even more, which means more days of darts, but that’s my job now, this is what I’m doing for a living.”
Littler raced into the final with victories over former world champions Raymond van Barneveld, who happens to be his tungsten hero, and Rob Cross, and he is now up to 31st spot in the world.
Asked for the best moment of his epic Ally Pally run, the kebab-loving lad said: “Probably beating Raymond van Barneveld.
“He has won this title five titles, he’s my idol. There are videos of me doing his iconic celebration. It was just unbelievable to beat him.
“If you are in the top 32, you’re straight into the second round of the Worlds. You wait to see who you play.
“It’s good I can have a few days before travelling down to London. There are no youth finals anymore.
“It will be fully focused on that and everything else throughout the year.”
Littler’s Instagram following was a mere 4,000 before his first-round win over Christian Kist on December 20 – but now it is over 800,000.
Nobody in the sport has more followers and the former schoolboy said: “All I have been thinking about is how crazy it is, how many followers I have got.
“I have got more followers than any professional player. I’m happy. I have done okay haven’t I?”