Luke Littler clears up darts boycott stance after pulling out of tournament
Doubts had been raised over whether Luke Littler would play for England World Cup of Darts but 'the Nuke' has given a definitive answer after another memorable night in the Premier League
Luke Littler has confirmed that he'll represent England at the World Cup of Darts in Germany this summer to end speculation that he could skip the tournament. Littler, 18, recently cast doubt over the likelihood of him teaming up with Luke Humphries to defend England's crown.
Following his semi-final defeat to Gian van Veen during a European Tour event, the teenage sensation voiced his frustration with the hostile crowd in Munich. In a now-deleted social media post, Littler wrote: "Shouldn't have been in Munich but had to play anyway, next one in Germany for me is Dortmund [in October] and I am glad to say that."
Given that the World Cup will be held in Frankfurt between June 12 and 15, questions were raised over whether Littler would play. But the Warrington-born star has now cleared up the confusion. "No, no I was always [going to play]," Littler told SportsBoom.
"Luke will want to go back-to-back and obviously I want to win it for the first time. Even though it's not a major, it's still playing for your country."
Sky Sports commentator Stuart Pyke also clarified that Littler's withdrawal from this weekend's latest Euro event was due to scheduling issues. "He is going to play [at the World Cup]. He's definitely going to play with Luke Humphries and he will play on the Euro Tour," Pyke explained.
"The reason he pulled out of the event this week is scheduling. Nothing more, nothing less. He got a bit emotional. He came out and said. something but didn't mean it. He will be playing in Germany at the World Cup."
Their comments came off the back of Littler breaking yet another Premier League Darts record. Littler recorded his fifth nightly win in Birmingham on Thursday to continue his extraordinary rise.
Will Luke Littler help England retain the World Cup of Darts? Give us your prediction in the comments section.
"It feels amazing to keep setting record in the Premier League. It's only my second year," he said. "It's good to be clear at the top of the table.
"Heading into the O2 (Arena in London later this month) I just need to make sure I'm at the top and get that first semi-final of the night. I've done it last year, why can't I do it again.
"The points record as well, that can be broken, but most importantly these next few weeks I'm just gonna relax and see where the darts land."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Premier League writes to Chelsea over Todd Boehly's ticket resale site
The Premier League has written to Chelsea to seek clarification over the club's position on ticket resales in light of Todd Boehly's ownership of the third-party ticketing website Vivid Seats. In March Chelsea supporters called on the Premier League to take action against Boehly, the club's chairman, for his ownership of the platform, which resells match tickets for thousands of pounds above their face value. Richard Masters, the Premier League's chief executive, confirmed during a meeting with the Football Supporters' Association that the league had written to Chelsea in light of the controversy. Boehly, who is part of the BlueCo consortium that owns Chelsea, is also a director of and investor in Vivid Seats, an American website that allows users based outside the UK to buy and sell tickets to concerts and sporting events. The Chelsea Supporters' Trust says Boehly has yet to respond to 'multiple opportunities' to address fans' concerns ROBBIE JAY BARRATT – AMA/GETTY IMAGES Vivid Seats was found to be selling Chelsea tickets at inflated prices, with seats for the club's home fixture against the champions Liverpool listed for up to £20,000. The platform is listed by the Premier League as an 'unauthorised ticket website', with the league urging fans to 'exercise extreme caution' when dealing with the site. It cannot be used by fans in Britain because it is illegal to resell tickets in this way in the UK. The Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) contacted the Premier League in March about the matter, while it also wrote to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy. 'As a director of Chelsea FC and part-owner, Mr Boehly's connection with Vivid Seats is totally inappropriate and significantly undermines the efforts of Chelsea FC, the Premier League, and the Metropolitan police to combat ticket touting,' the letter said. 'The CST firmly believes that it is now time for the Premier League to act and investigate.' The CST said it had given Boehly 'multiple opportunities' to address the fans' concerns but that neither the 51-year-old American nor his representatives had responded. Masters noted that the Premier League would respond to the CST after it had finished consultations with Chelsea. Chelsea and the Premier League have been approached for comment.
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Man Utd urged to complete shock transfer for 'physical' Premier League star
Manchester United have been urged to sign 'physical' Premier League star Beto from Everton this summer in what would be a shock move. United head coach Ruben Amorim is keen for a new-look strike force at Old Trafford with the Red Devils linked to a number of attacking players. Matheus Cunha has already joined United from Wolves and Amorim is reportedly keen to recruit Viktor Gyokeres from his old club Sporting CP. But Fernando Lopes is convinced that Beto would be a better choice for United, despite the striker scoring just 15 goals in 71 games for Everton. Lopes, the president of Portuguese club Uniao Tires, where Beto started his career, told The Sun: 'Everyone thought Amorim would sign Gyokeres as he had him at Sporting – but the Premier League is completely different to Portugal. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. 'Teams are more physical and compact at the back, it is quicker and more competitive. 'Gyokeres would struggle to play as a lone No. 9 waiting for service. 'Beto's a more physical player, who fights with defenders and doesn't lose duels. 'He is a real headache for opponents – if he gets the service. 'In their golden era, United always scored a lot of goals from set-pieces but haven't had a proper striker for many seasons. 'Nowadays, teams have small, quick strikers or a false forward because there is an obsession for possession of the ball. 'Beto represents the typical old style, because of his physique, power and work-rate – plus he is very fast. 'When [David] Moyes went to Everton he showed what a handful he is for defenders to stop. 'He'd be like Amorim's ace up his sleeve in a game of poker.' More Trending Everton paid around €30m (£25.8m) to sign Beto from Italian club Udinese in the summer of 2023. The 27-year-old Guinea-Bissau international scored eight Premier League goals across 30 top-flight games in the 2024-25 campaign. Beto is currently under contract at Everton until the summer of 2027. 'One of Beto's attributes is the fighting spirit first injected at Tires,' Lopes added. 'He has had the attitude of never giving up since he was a boy. I'd love to see him in a more attacking team because if he has the service, he will definitely score around 20.' MORE: Atletico Madrid reject chance to sign Arsenal star in summer transfer window MORE: Ruben Amorim sends message to Manchester United over Emiliano Martinez transfer MORE: Chelsea set Nicolas Jackson asking price as Premier League club join transfer race
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Man United 'stepping up shock move for Everton flop but may face competition from Saudi clubs for £44.5m star' as Ruben Amorim targets new striker
Former Everton striker Moise Kean is reportedly on Manchester United 's radar. Kean enjoyed a resurgence at Fiorentina last season after a difficult spell at Goodison Park. The 25-year-old scored 19 goals and provided three assists in 32 Serie A appearances, helping the club secure a European place. According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, United are now monitoring Kean's situation with increasing interest. The Italian forward is understood to have a £44.5million release clause and is also attracting attention from Saudi side Al Qadsiah. It remains unclear whether Kean would be open to a move to the Middle East, although a lucrative offer could tempt him. United are in the market for a new striker, with Rasmus Hojlund having struggled to make an impact since his big-money move to Old Trafford. Sporting Lisbon's Victor Gyokeres, a target who previously worked with Ruben Amorim, is said to prefer a move to Arsenal, while Liam Delap has already opted to join Chelsea over United. Kean's first spell in the Premier League with Everton failed to live up to expectations. Signed as a highly-rated youngster, he struggled to adapt to life in England and was criticised for his attitude. His struggles were perhaps best summed up when then-interim manager Duncan Ferguson substituted him just 18 minutes after bringing him on during a match against United at Old Trafford. Kean managed only four goals in 39 appearances for the Toffees before a loan spell at Paris Saint-Germain and then a permanent move to Juventus.
