PETER WRIGHT joked that Luke Littler is ANNOYING and has given all the big stars the “spark” to improve.
The double world champ admits he is needing a huge homecoming lift from the Scottish Dartan Army fans in the Premier League at the OVO Hydro on Thursday.
Snakebite, 53, faces Michael van Gerwen on home soil but is determined to show that the old boys can still compete with teen sensation Littler.
Wright revealed: “Luke is great for darts. We need that spark. It’s great for all the youngsters what he’s doing against the big boys.
“As for him not practising, it does annoy you when he’s just sitting on his phone and then is like: ‘Oh, do I have to play darts now!’
“It reminds me of Dennis Priestley. He used to sit and do crosswords and then it was: ‘Oh it’s time to play, is it?’
“Then he’d get up and play and smash you.
“Lucky enough, I haven’t met Luke yet on the dartboard. That’s next week in Newcastle. So I’m looking forward to that one.
“It’s a special feeling playing in Scotland. We miss Gary (Anderson) playing in the Premier League. We could all do with him back, but it’s his choice. He doesn’t want to go through that anymore and he’s already won it a couple of times.
“All the pressure is on me to win for Scotland and for myself.
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“I believe I can do it with a little help from the crowd. As long as they are not whistling or booing, don’t do any of that. Just be behind me and I’ll do the job.”
Wright has lost both his opening Premier clashes with Rob Cross and Luke Humphries. But he has got his sight on returning to his old form thanks to ditching the specs.
He added: “Last week, I wore the contacts. Tried the glasses before. The glasses seem to make it a lot closer and I used contacts the past two days in the floor tournaments as well.
“It’s just annoying putting them in and in out, that’s it.
“I felt a lot better in Berlin. I didn’t wear the glasses. Luke Humphries’ last two legs were brilliant darts. I couldn’t do much about that.”
Wright lashed out at ITV pundit Chris Mason 10 days ago for suggesting that he shouldn’t have been picked for the Premier League.
He admits that aggro has helped to fire him up and show signs of better form, adding: “It’s in my head at the moment. I sat after losing at the Worlds, I could quite easily retire with what I’ve won and what I’ve done in the game.
“But I thought: ‘No. I don’t want to retire yet’. I believe I still have loads in me. I can win another World Championships and many more tournaments.
“Obviously, the game has risen so high with all the talent around and I have to up my game to keep up with those guys and overtake them.
“Gary has shown that. He can do it, we’re roughly the same age. If he can do it, I still want to play on in the Premier League.
“It helps a little bit with needle people giving me just to try and prove them wrong.”
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