Luke Littler breaks silence on retirement talk as world champion reveals only thing that could make him quit darts
LUKE LITTLER has dismissed suggestions he might retire from darts by the age of 23, saying: Don't worry – I'll be around for a very long time.
Yet there is one condition under which he would hang up his darts early – if he wins 16 world titles in a row to eclipse the legendary Phil Taylor.
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The Nuke, who turned 18 in January, will attempt to defend his Premier League crown on Thursday, aiming to earn £335,000 in total cash.
On the eve of his return to the O2 Arena, stable mate and 'big brother' figure Nathan Aspinall claimed the world champ could call it quits in five years.
That is once he has had enough of the gruelling travel schedule and also banked millions in prize money.
The Asp, 33, said: 'Even now, Luke could retire and not worry about money in his life. Simple as that. He'll always have exhibition work.
'I hope he stays for as long as he can.
'If he is fed up of the travel now – and he has a girlfriend, and maybe one day he'll have a child – with £30million sat in his bank, does he really want to travel to Wigan on a cold Tuesday morning? Probably not.
'He's coming out of his shell a bit at the moment. I'm really close to Luke. During this Premier League campaign he's become a man now.
'I can hold a conversation with him – it's not all about Xbox.'
When it was put to the tungsten teenager that he may decide to toss aside the arrows – and he has already skipped plenty of European Tour events this year – it was laughed off.
Littler, the world No2, said: 'I've heard that. I'll be here in 10 years.
'Obviously, it's crazy to even think about retiring at the minute.
'I think what they're saying is that if we win 16 titles in the next 16 World Championships, then obviously I will retire.
'I don't think of any retirement at the minute. The money, it's there to be won, especially the World Championships now.
'But not only that, everything has gone up. It's all about what you're feeling and I'm sure I'll be here for a long time.'
In semi-final one, Littler takes on bogeyman Gerwyn Price – he has lost six of his past eight matches to the Welshman – over the best of 19 legs and then Aspinall is up against Luke Humphries in front of 14,000 fans.
Littler won £60,000 for six nightly league wins over four months and he will try to emulate Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen who defended the Prem trophy, which carries a cheque of £275,000.
He said: 'There has been a target on my back for the past 18 months, since I first came on Tour. Everyone wants to beat me.
'I know that if I am not on my A game, then they're going to catch me up.
'The stats are there. I've dominated in many ways, averages, 180s, ton-plus checkouts but it's down to one night.
'It would mean everything to win again. It's obviously my first big TV title defence but for myself I just have to look forward to the first semi-final with Gerwyn and go from there.'
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