BIRTHDAY boy Luke Littler wants to play in everything during his debut season as a pro — despite burnout fears from Michael van Gerwen.
Anyone wondering if the teen’s Ally Pally heroics were a one-off had their answer on Friday.
Within the space of a few hours, Littler — who turns 17 on Sunday — scored a nine-darter and knocked out Nathan Aspinall and Gerwyn Price in the Bahrain Masters and then defeated MVG 8-5 in final.
And as soon as his birthday celebrations are over, he will be packing his bags again for the two-day Dutch Darts Masters on Friday.
Then, on February 1, he heads to Cardiff to begin the four-month Premier League roadshow — a schedule which he once called “brutal”.
Littler wants to step up to the oche as much as possible as he does not know if these opportunities will ever come around again.
Clutching his Palm Tree trophy after beating Van Gerwen, he said: “I wasn’t expecting anything.
“I came to Bahrain wanting to win my first-round game and see who I’d play in the next round.
“I’ve won all my games and I got over the line against a very good Michael van Gerwen. I cannot wait to play in everything.
“My manager said after the World final, ‘Do you want to play in the Premier League? It’s gruelling every week. And you have the ProTour in between’.
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“I said, ‘Let’s do it, why not? It may never happen again’. That’s how I think of it. I cannot wait for Holland. I have not set any goals and don’t want to.
“I take every competition as it comes, game by game and see who comes out as the winner.”
But Van Gerwen has urged caution, saying it is important not to push Littler too hard, too soon.
The Dutchman, 34, said: “Everyone says he is a new kid but everyone knows what he is capable of.
“The crowds, the televisions, everyone wants to make him bigger. But he’s already a good player.
“I know you want to push him but let him grow. Let him do his things.”
Michael van Gerwen on Luke Littler
“I know you want to push him but let him grow. Let him do his things.
“You have to learn, the crowd has to learn. Everyone who is involved in television will have to learn.
“Don’t push him too much. Give him his time and everything will come. No problem.”
Former player Wayne Mardle, 50, who is now a respected pundit, has told people to just enjoy what Littler is doing.
He posted on X: “Comparison is the thief of joy. Stop saying Luke Littler will never win what Phil Taylor did. The world is different.
“He is enjoying all these new experiences. The worst thing we can do is hold him back.”
Manchester United fan Littler will also be popping up on Matt Lucas’ Fantasy Football League show.
The comedian’s show, which is co-hosted by Elis James and Andrew Mensah, returns on Friday, February 2, at 10pm on Sky Max.
