Luke Littler says practice made perfect after World Matchplay success
Littler, 18, claimed a hard-fought victory over veteran James Wade at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, becoming only the fifth player to lift the coveted title alongside the World Championship and Premier League.
Next up on the PDC schedule is a trip Down Under for the back-to-back Australia and New Zealand Darts Masters in August, before attention turns towards the end-of-year run-in.
'What I have achieved so far is unbelievable for myself,' Littler told the PA news agency.
'I didn't expect it to go my way, but it is just all down to me practising and playing really good darts.
'The Matchplay win was just so good. I practised quite a lot leading up to it, the most I had done in some time – and it certainly paid off as I completed the Triple Crown.'
Littler knows every success then raises the level of expectation on his young shoulders.
'If you come into a tournament and you are the champion, I think people can expect you to try and defend it, because you have been there before and you have won it before, but that is not always the case,' the world number two said.
'Even this year with the Premier League, it was not easy trying to defend it – and on the night (of the final) Luke Humphries played his best darts and won it.
'But leading up to the Grand Slam (of Darts, in November), I want to defend that and also try to pick up some more titles along the way.'
Littler added: 'Ever since my first World Championships, where I was runner-up and started on the (PDC) Tour, I think everyone just wanted to beat me.
'It is still the same now because these players want to be the best and have always wanted to beat me, but most of the time I do come out victorious.'
The 18-year-old's achievements have transcended the sport – helping darts reach to a new audience and a younger generation.
'For what I have done, it has definitely spurred a lot of people on to get into their darts,' Littler said.
'But for myself, I have got to keep winning, keep picking up trophies and get even more people involved.'
Littler has teamed up with KP Snacks 'Nuts for Darts' campaign, which will see one pub win an appearance from the world champion.
'There are so many pub leagues that I played in when I was younger, this is where game of darts has come from,' he said.
'That is where I started and where most of these big top players started is in pubs, so this is about giving those pubs an opportunity for an appearance from me.'
:: KP Nuts are giving one lucky pub the chance to win an appearance from Luke Littler as part of the 'Nuts for Darts' campaign. Rally your landlord to pick up a promotional pub card to enter from August 11.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
a minute ago
- The Guardian
Oasis-style ticketing and expendable fans: the battle to retain football's soul
'I'm a bit younger, so this is all I've known,' says Nick Clarke, 'but something that defines this moment is the feeling that it's our last chance. You know that phrase: 'The game's gone'? I think the game is genuinely going away. It's excluding traditional supporters and the communities that built the clubs in the first place.' Clarke has just celebrated his 30th birthday and is coming off the back of a big season. As one of the four season-ticket holders behind the MCFC Fans Foodbank Support, Clarke has been active among the Manchester City fanbase and in the community since the pandemic. With the growing concern over the pricing and provision of tickets at his club last year, he helped coordinate protests by fans whose rivalries go back generations, but whose problems are increasingly shared. Supporters of Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United and others joined City fans under the banner 'Stop Exploiting Loyalty' and in doing so became part of a new wave of supporter activism. 'I know there's all these things about multi-club ownership, private and state ownership, playing games abroad, accusations of killing the soul of the game,' Clarke says. 'But, really, what is the game? It's the communities that go to it, it's the communities that have made the clubs who they are, going back four, five, six generations till their very inception. 'The wider football supporter community are only just now cottoning on that we have so much more in common and if we don't stand together the game is going to be gone before we know it. That's all we have to do and all we can do. We just need to really keep up that momentum.' It already seems there will be reason for fans to take a stand once more this season. It is not the first time they will have come together to demand change, but for those with clubs at the top of the pyramid there is a sense the ground is shifting and the needs of fans is becoming an afterthought, if not an outright problem. At the heart is a concern that clubs want to move away from having matches filled with season-ticket holders towards something more casual, and more lucrative. Imagine every Premier League fixture becoming more like an Oasis gig, for ever. 'The problems are different at different levels of the game,' says Tom Greatrex, the new chair of the Football Supporters' Association, who drove the Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign. 'In the Premier League, and at the top of the Championship, Stop Exploiting Loyalty has helped to bring to the fore a set of issues that have been developing over a period of time. 'We are seeing that parts of clubs' fanbases, which have traditionally been loyal and go home and away, are now almost expendable to not all, but many of the people that currently run a number of those clubs. It's gone beyond exploitation to expendability.' Fans are suffering rises in ticket prices, the lowering or ending of ticket concessions and initiatives that require season-ticket holders to attend a certain number of games each season or risk losing their place, as examples of this trend. According to Greatrex, the effects are being felt in some grounds. 'The number of people who are there almost to experience something which they're not necessarily part of has tipped into a significant proportion to the extent that it undermines the thing they're going there to experience,' he says. 'There is a real danger that in a short-term push for increased revenue from matchday tickets and associated spend that clubs are in danger of actually undermining the whole 'product' they're so proud of.' One topic that crystallises the anxiety over expendability is that of matches being selected for TV. There will be more televised games than ever this season, with Sky showing a minimum 215 Premier League fixtures. With each televised match comes possible rescheduling and a potentially challenging (or even impossible) journey for fans. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'There can be very very short-notice changes, which make it very difficult for people to be able to attend those matches. I don't think there's been enough focus on things that could be done to mitigate some of the frustration that comes from those changes.' The FSA has called for a 12-week notice period on fixture rearrangements, the provision of more 'football special' trains and the extension of the £30 cap on away tickets into the EFL. The Premier League has committed to giving six weeks' notice of fixture adjustments on all matches until January, but last month had to apologise after failing to meet its own deadline of announcing all September adjustments by 9 July. It is striking that the mood among fans is so febrile at the time the government has passed legislation designed, in part, to give supporters more influence over their clubs. Fan consultation is a central requirement of the new Independent Football Regulator for the English men's elite game and legislation is, in part, the result of long-term campaigning by the FSA. It is not a panacea and its influence is unlikely to take hold for some seasons yet, but Greatrex, a former Labour MP, believes it can form a platform for better understanding between fans, clubs and competitions. 'More than ever, there is an appreciation – among some, it's reluctant, but among others, it's embraced – that supporters have a legitimate voice that deserves to be heard and their views to be considered,' he says. '[The regulator] is actually the basis for a much more constructive approach, which means that if clubs are sensible you can prevent a lot of the flashpoints getting to the point at which they become high profile, because you've dealt with it sensibly ahead of that time.' Clarke would much rather have dialogue than protest. 'I don't want to be doing another protest all my life,' he says. 'I know there's no easy answers but a lot of this protest energy has come because people feel they're not being listened to. That's where the anger comes from.'
The Sun
a minute ago
- The Sun
Arsenal player ratings: Jakub Kiwior's mistakes cost Gunners again – but Nwaneri a rare shining light against Villarreal
ARSENAL endured an underwhelming return home with a second pre-season defeat to Villarreal. The club's fourth pre-season friendly, their first at the Emirates, saw all six summer signings make their north London debuts. 7 7 However, it was not a game they will be rushing to remember. Former Gunner Nicolas Pepe, who joined the club for a then-record £72million in 2019, opened the scoring for the visitors from close range. Karl Etta Eyong then capitalised on some poor defending to make it two. New boy Christian Norgaard got one back for the hosts with a composed header at the back post following a Gabriel Martinelli corner. Villarreal restored their two-goal lead following a counter-attack which culminated in a strike from ex- Tottenham man Arnaut Danjuma. Teenager Max Dowman, who made his Emirates debut, then won a penalty in the final 15 minutes for captain Martin Odegaard to bury. However, it wasn't enough to fire the Gunners to a comeback. Arsenal then lost the post-match penalty shootout 4-3. Here's how SunSport's Emillia Hawkins rated the performance. David Raya - 5 Arguably could've done better for the opening goal, perhaps even the second. Didn't look too comfortable when there were numbers in the box. Arsenal's 2025-26 third kit 'leaked' and fans absolutely love it Ben White - 5 Back making those overlapping runs with Saka on the right. Lost his runner, Gerard Moreno, in the build-up to the second goal after initially being caught slightly out of position. Made a few crosses from the right but didn't really challenge the Villarreal defence too much. William Saliba - 5 Doesn't look his best without favoured centre-back partner, Gabriel Magalhaes, by his side. Was caught quite high up the pitch for Villarreal's second and dragged out wide, leaving plenty of space in the box. Jakub Kiwior - 4 Failed to make the clearance before Pepe's opening goal after being out-muscled in the six-yard box. Also made a failed attempt to win the ball for Villarreal's second. 7 Myles Lewis-Skelly - 6 Lost track of Pepe at times out wide but did well moving centrally. Battled well and drew some fouls in the middle. Out of position for the visitors' third goal. Christian Norgaard - 7 Made some important interceptions and challenges in midfield. Had a wild half-volley shot from the edge of the box which bounced out for a throw-in but redeemed himself with a composed header at the back post to get one back for the Gunners. Mikel Merino - 5 Didn't make much of an impact at all in midfield. Very quiet. Returned to the No9 position in the second half when Gyokeres went off. Ethan Nwaneri - 7 Very sharp in the first half when in control of the ball, taking on players and working well with Saka on the right. Played centrally in the No10 position as opposed to the wing. Bukayo Saka - 6 Far from his best performance. Didn't have too much luck out on the right and failed to cause any real problems for goalkeeper Luiz Junior. Gabriel Martinelli - 6 Looked sharp at the start of the match by making some direct runs down the left and some good crosses. Had a bit of a dip mid-first half but got the assist for Norgaard's goal. Viktor Gyokeres - 5 Had a very quiet evening. Had a few promising opportunities cutting inside from the left during the first half. Plenty of Arsenal's chances came from crosses - perhaps he would have done better had the ball been played directly to his feet. Didn't really look up to speed - not surprising given he didn't really have much of a pre-season. SUBSTITUTES Cristhian Mosquera (for White, 46) - 6 Looked fairly comfortable alongside Gabriel after coming on. Martin Zubimendi (for Norgaard, 46) - 6 A promising debut home performance from the midfielder, who worked well alongside Rice. Declan Rice (for Nwaneri, 62) - 6 Worked well with new boy Zubimendi in the middle. Gabriel Magalhaes (for Kiwior, 62) - 6 A fairly composed performance. Still working his way back up to full match fitness. Martin Odegaard (for Gyokeres, 62) - 6 Scored the penalty which made it 3-2 by tucking his shot nicely into the bottom-right corner. Jurrien Timber (for Saliba, 62) - 5 Didn't get involved too much. Max Dowman (for Saka, 62) - 7 Got one of the biggest cheers of the evening as he was introduced to the home fans for the first time while making his way onto the pitch. Looked to make an impact from the off and came close with a low-driven chance cutting inside from the right. Won the penalty after being tripped by Pau Navarro. Kepa Arrizabalaga (for Raya, 62) - 5 Beaten by a low-driven strike from Danjuma just minutes after coming off the bench. Not the best start to his time at the Emirates. Oleksandr Zinchenko (for Lewis-Skelly, 77) - 5 Beaten slightly too easily which could have seen the visitors get a fourth. Noni Madueke (for Martinelli, 77) - 6 Not a bad start for the winger, especially considering he only joined his team-mates for the first time a few days ago.
The Sun
a minute ago
- The Sun
Arsenal 2 Villarreal 3: Viktor Gyokeres upstaged by £72million forgotten Gunners flop on Emirates Stadium bow
VIKTOR GYOKERES is wearing the No14 shirt made famous by Thierry Henry and the Swede is also looking to become an Arsenal legend. Unfortunately for the club's big summer signing, he had just 14 touches on his Emirates debut before being replaced in the 62nd minute, so this will not be a night he looks back with fondness. 4 4 4 4 Not that it really matters, obviously. If Gyokeres fires the goals to end Arsenal's role as permanent Premier League bridesmaids to clinch the title, and there is no reason why he cannot, the Swede will be forgiven if he takes time to adjust in north London. On the night all eyes were on the new arrival from Sporting Lisbon, absolutely no-one had taken any notice of Villarreal's Nicolas Pepe. So while we all expected an expensive signing by Arsenal to score, you would not have had any money on it being £72m Arsenal flop Pepe. Villarreal's Ivory Coast international scored the first goal and Karl Etta Eyong made it 2-0 before new arrival Christian Norgaard scored with a header. Yet while we have spent the last few weeks talking about the need of a top striker, Mikel Arteta's team will have to defend better than this, and sub Arnaut Danjuma made it 3-1 before Martin Odegaard pulled one back from the penalty spot. Villarreal then won a penalty shoot-out 4-3 with another new arrival, Noni Madueke, missing the decisive spot-kick. Gyokeres, who cost £8.5million less than Pepe, made his club debut as a 77th minute substitute against Spurs in Hong Kong but was given a heroes' welcome at a packed Emirates. If Arsenal are to get the best out of their new all-singing, all-dancing goal machine, they will have to give him more ammunition. Equally, Gyokeres did not have a proper pre-season as he barely trained in Lisbon. He will soon be in better shape and has another run-out on Saturday against Athletic Bilbao. Gyokeres tried to score his first goal in spectacular style but failed to connect with an attempted bicycle kick from Bukayo Saka's cross and he had few other chances. In terms of the way he moves and the fact has blonde hair, it was a bit like having Nicklas Bendtner back at the Emirates although it is safe to say Gyokeres will do a bit better than the cocky Dane. Arteta also gave second half Emirates debuts to Christhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and Noni Madueke. Yet the comedy moment of the night was Pepe opening the scoring from close range and then refusing to celebrate. Pepe arrived from Lille for that massive amount in 2019 and scored just 27 goals in 112 appearances before joining Trabzonspor on a free transfer in 2023. Many Arsenal fans probably did not realise that Pepe was even playing in this fixture although there was a mixture of jeers and applause when his name was read out after scoring. Etta Eyong scored at the far post for 2-0 before former Brentford captain Norgaard pulled one back with a far post header before the break. The biggest roar of the night came just after the hour when 15-year-old Max Dowman was unleashed. Villarreal caught Arsenal on the break with former Bournemouth forward Danjuma making it 3-1 before Dowman won a penalty and Odegaard, who replaced Gyokeres, got Arsenal's second. There was still a shoot-out although Madueke saw his shot saved with one fan shouting: 'send him back to Chelsea.' Meanwhile, Arsenal - yet again - have fitness concerns. Both defender Riccardo Calafiori, who suffered an injury on the tour, along with Kai Havertz, were missing from the squad.
