‘I won't wind him up too much' – Stephen Bunting expecting extra spice in Premier League Darts clash with Luke Littler
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
STEPHEN BUNTING is planning to save his trash talk until after his match against Luke Littler.
The duo meet in Night 13 of the Premier League in Birmingham on Thursday.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
Stephen Bunting is a big admirer of Luke Littler
Credit: Rex
2
He is wary of winding up the youngster
Credit: PA
Bunting is aware of the task he is up against and is keen to ensure he does not make his chances of winning even more difficult.
So he has decided against winding up Manchester United fan Littler over his beloved Liverpool's Premier League title win, which was confirmed with a 5-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday.
Bunting told Sky Sports: "I don't want to wind him up too much because I've got him in that first game!
"I'll probably leave it until after the game, and hopefully I can get a result against him."
READ MORE IN DARTS
OCHE AND OUT Darts star breaks silence after taking indefinite leave from the sport
Bunting beat Littler, 18, the last time the pair faced off - in Night 11 of the Premier League.
The Bullet edged out the contest 6-5 to prevent Littler picking up a record fifth nightly Premier League win.
Bunting, 40, is a big admirer Littler however, and praised the impact he has had on darts.
He added: "He's such a fantastic player, he's brought a new breath of fresh air to darts.
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
"You can see it now with the demographic of the fans that are following our sport. He's brought it right down, there's young kids getting involved.
"I did a Bullseye Maths session the other day and the teacher at the start of the session asked how many people had picked up darts, and this was a group between 8 and 9, and everyone apart from one person had picked up darts.
Classy Luke Littler celebrates with Gerwyn Price as Welshman hits incredible nine-darter to bag £30k gold darts
"It just goes to show how far our sport has come in such a little time."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Jannik Sinner suffers ‘Roger Federer curse' as French Open final fan repeats fateful gesture six years on
SOME FING STRANGE Jannik Sinner suffers 'Roger Federer curse' as French Open final fan repeats fateful gesture six years on Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JANNIK SINNER had two hands on the French Open crown - or at least nine fingers... But fans reckon he was then hit by the very same curse that struck Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final six years ago. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Jannik Sinner reflects on Carlos Alcaraz storming back to win Credit: Reuters 5 Roger Federer likewise blew match points against Novak Djokovic Credit: Getty Nothing less than that of "The Cursed Finger". Sinner was leading Carlos Alcaraz 2-1 in sets and 5-3 in the fourth, before earning three match points at love-40 on the Spaniard's serve. And it was then that some Sinner fans gleefully raised a finger in anticipation of the World No1 clinching his first Roland Garros title. That's also what happened to Federer in the SW19 seats when he had two match points on his own serve against big rival Novak Djokovic back in 2019. READ MORE ON JANNIK SINNER DEADLY SIN Sinner in sportsmanship fail as French Open final gesture to Alcaraz backfires Both times fingers went up. Both times fortunes went down for the man on top. Djokovic clinched a five-set epic, then Alcaraz did just that too on Sunday - retaining his French crown via the longest-ever Roland Garros final. And fans couldn't resist making creepy comparisons. One wrote: "If it's not a cursed finger again" - followed by crying-with-laughter emojis. 5 Haunted history repeated itself as fans celebrated too early in two Grand Slam finals six years apart BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Others taunted Sinner fans - as their hero went on to lose 4-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 7-6 in five hours and 29 minutes. The 23-year-old might also have thought the spirits were against him for another reason. Novak Djokovic digs out French Open rival for 'spying' on him and seeing Champions League trophy He sportingly gave up a point in the fourth point after telling the chair umpire an Alcaraz shot had wrongly been called out. But replays showed line judges had been right to call it long. Three-time Slam winner Sinner admitted afterwards it was tough to speak after losing from such a strong position. The rueful runner-up said: "It's easier to play than talk now. "I'm still happy with this trophy - I won't sleep very well tonight but it is OK." Meanwhile, Alcaraz praised his beaten rival - perhaps knowing the pair are way ahead of the world's rest in the men's game. He told Sinner: "The level you have is amazing. "It is a privilege to share a court with you in every tournament and in making history." 5 Credit: Getty
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd to earn 'substantial' windfall for player sold less than 12 months ago
Manchester United's Profit and Sustainability concerns are set to be eased with one of their former academy players expected to be on the move this summer, just a year ater leaving the Red Devils Manchester United are set to earn a substantial transfer windfall thanks to former star Maxi Oyedele. The United academy graduate left the Red Devils a year ago for Legia Warsaw, having never played a senior game at Old Trafford. But he has starred in Poland, making 24 appearances in all competitions as Legia won the Polish Cup. That was their first major trophy since 2023, with Oyedele playing all 90 minutes of the final. Though he only joined last summer and has two years to run on his contract, the midfielder is attracting strong interest. Werder Bremen, PSV Eindhoven, Anderlecht, Club Brugge and a number of Championship sides are understood to be monitoring the 20-year-old. There is a release clause in his contract that means he is available for a tick over £5million this summer. There is a growing expectation at Legia that he will be departing the club after just one season. If he does indeed move on, it would bank United a healthy sum, which will go a way towards easing their concerns with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules. The Red Devils are hoping to be busy this summer and any fee received will be greatly appreciated. In a surprise move given he left just 12 months ago, United will benefit substantially from Oyedele's potential transfer. When they sold him last summer, United inserted various clauses into the deal. While they only sold him for a small fee, one of the clauses they inserted was a substantial sell-on clause to ensure future profit. That sell-on clause means that United are entitled to 40 per cent of any fee Legia receive for the midfielder. If he is sold for his release clause, it would see United bank just over £2m. That money would likely go straight into easing their PSR concerns, with a buy-back option also included in the original deal. A departure for Oyedele would come as somewhat of a surprise given his short time in Poland. Speaking in April, the youngster insisted he was happy with life in the capital city. 'It's just funny for my mum because she left Poland to come to England and make a life; I left England to go to Poland to start my journey,' Oyedele told The Guardian. 'Legia was the biggest opportunity. "I don't even think I realised how big of an opportunity it was when I heard about it. I felt like this was the opportunity to play in Europe, the biggest team in Poland. It's my nationality, so it's close to the national team. "It's always a risk to leave it, but it just seemed like the best choice. I couldn't afford to waste another year playing academy football. I could have stayed in England and continued my journey and who knows what would have happened." Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Premier League clubs in the race to sign Newcastle duo with Magpies set for overhaul after securing Champions League qualification
Two Newcastle midfielders could be on their way out of St James' Park this summer amid interest from Premier League sides. The Magpies secured Champions League qualification on the final day of the Premier League season and will be keen to bolster their squad after struggling to deal with the demands of domestic and European football during the 2023-24 campaign. Having failed to break into Eddie Howe 's settled starting side, several first team stars are expected to depart the club this summer. Among them include the likes of Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock, who started eight and 11 matches in the Premier League respectively. Newly promoted side Leeds United are showing interest in Longstaff, who failed to register a goal or an assist in his 25 appearances in the top flight. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are among the clubs keen on Willock, who fared slightly better with two assists in his 32 outings. Elsewhere, Leeds also admire Shea Charles of Southampton and have asked about Udinese defender Jaka Bijol. Charles made 44 appearances on loan in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday and has earned three senior international caps for Northern Ireland.
