Latest news with #ColinLloyd
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
‘His race is run' – Michael van Gerwen warned his time at the top is OVER after worrying darts struggles
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has been warned that his time at the top of darts is OVER amid worrying struggles. The three-time world champion on the brink of missing the Premier League play-offs for just the second time in his career. 2 A loss in the quarter-final on night 15 last Thursday against to Nathan Aspinall - who won in Aberdeen - left Van Gerwen four points outside of the play-offs. The Dutchman must win night 16 in the Premier League and hope Aspinall loses in the quarter-final if he is to seal an unlikely play-offs place. Van Gerwen has also not won a PDC ranked televised event since November 2022 - at the Players Championship Finals in Minehead. The 36-year-old had won at least one ranked TV event each year from 2012 to 2022 with the exception of 2021. So the lack of success in recent years has caused concern for former player Colin Lloyd. Lloyd, 51, told talkSPORT: "I think his race is run. With what he's achieved in the game, is he that motivated anymore? "He says he is. He says there's plenty left it in him and that when he turns up, he's still the man to beat and one of the best players in the world. "I'm sorry, but I've got to say we haven't seen Michael turn up for a while now. We've seen flashes of brilliance. "Has it slipped into his head he has other priorities? He loves spending time with the missus and the kids going on holiday." Lloyd, who retired in 2016, added: "Has that little bit of spark gone from Michael's game? Fans sing along to Luke Littler's walk-on song as darts star shares footage from stage "He'll turn up and he's got all the good intentions of how a champion is. You don't turn up to make the numbers up, you turn up to win." But if Lloyd thought Van Gerwen would be stepping away from the oche any time soon, he'd be sorely mistaken. Last December at the World Championships, Van Gerwen vowed to 'be on the scene for a little bit longer'. "If you look at my rankings this year, I'm still in the top four or five," Van Gerwen said. "Can you imagine when I play well again? I will be really dangerous."
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
‘He is not Phil Taylor' – Darts legend says it is pointless comparing Luke Littler to 87-time major winner
LEGEND Colin Lloyd insists there is no point comparing Luke Littler to the great Phil Taylor. The teen sensation has secured his spot in the Premier League play-offs at London's O2 Arena later this month as he sits top of the table with 38 points. 2 2 World Champion Littler has FIVE nightly wins in the competition and will now look to set an overall league points record, which is currently at 40. Despite the hype and endless comparisons to 87-time major winner Taylor – darts' most dominant figure – former World No.1 Lloyd believes Littler is forging his own legacy. He told talkSPORT: 'I don't want to use the words Taylor-esque because Taylor was the same. 'Different era, different players with two completely different people. 'He is not Phil Taylor. He is Luke Littler. 'And listen, he has the ability to absolutely blow people away. 'In the world of darts there haven't been many of them. 'Luke Humphries is up there as one of those I think. 'Gezzy Price on his day and MVG. 'There's only a small group of players that have been capable over the years to throw sublime darts for a period of time and make it look easy.' Gary Neville slammed for asking Luke Littler 'disrespectful question' by darts star Teen sensation Littler leads all players in 100+ averages thrown this year, hitting the mark in 51 of his 87 matches — 15 more than his nearest rival, Luke Humphries. Warrington whizkid Littler also tops the charts for 180s, having smashed in a staggering 435 so far — 78 more than women's World No.1 Beau Greaves, who sits second. Littler returns to action tomorrow in the Premier League on Night 15 as he faces Humphries in a blockbuster clash.
The Sun
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
‘You could get to that point' – Luke Littler warned darts antics could come back to haunt him
LEGEND Colin Lloyd has warned Luke Littler that his cocky stage antics could come back to haunt him. The teen sensation made a crying gesture to jeering Leeds fans during his 6-4 Premier League win over Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-final last Thursday. Littler, 18, started the walk-on prior to his clash against 'The Asp' with a yawn gesture as he got booed by the fans. Five-time major winner Littler also made a 4-1 gesture to the TV cameras during the final walk-on to celebrate Manchester United's win over Athletic Bilbao. Former World No.1 Lloyd believes Littler needs to be careful or risk getting hammered by hostile fans down the line. He told talkSPORT: 'The one that really got me was when he came walking back and they were booing him as he was going for a double. 'He hit the double - that was against Nathan. 'He came walking back to the crowd and just went…' (Mimics crying gesture) 'People have said over the years or the past few months anyway that the game has not got many characters anymore. 'I think he's turning into a bit of a character. I think he is someone that goes up there and goes about his business in his own way and he just does not care. 3 'He doesn't care that they're booing him or trying to do things to him. He just shrugs his shoulders. 'And he interacts with the crowd and they should appreciate that. But sure that's up to him if it works for him. 'When you're doing stuff like that, you could get to a point where they are at you constantly and then if you react to them you can't complain. 'But listen at this moment in time he is riding the crest of a wave for the last 18 months and it looks like that wave is going to continue.' Unfortunately for Littler, he couldn't quite get the nightly win over the line, as he was beaten 6-5 by home favourite Luke Humphries in the final. Littler is currently perched at the top of the Premier League table on 38 points and is seven above big rival Humphries with two nights remaining. The pair face each other again in Aberdeen on Thursday night.
