A WORK OF DART
Luke has taken the sport to another level says his practice partner Nathan
LUKE LITTLER’S latest tour de force left his practice partner Nathan Aspinall admitting: “He’s not just a darts player, he’s a celebrity.”
On a memorable evening in Manchester, Luke the Nuke went top of the table in the BETMGM Premier League by completing back-to-back nightly wins.
But after spending five hours with Aspinall trawling BBC studios the day before, the world No.4 believes the 17-yearold sensation has transcended darts and now deserves to be treated as showbiz royalty.
He said: “Off stage I’m working with Luke to try and help him – the rest of the lads probably don’t want to hear that because, if you add my strength to his ability, we’re all in trouble.
“But what he’s doing for the sport, as a 17-year-old, is just so incredible. Forget about his darts – he’s not a darts player, he’s a celebrity. I’m a darts player, he’s a celebrity – and that’s the difference.
“The BBC have never cared about darts but on Wednesday Luke and I were there (in Salford) for five hours.
“That isn’t because of me or Michael van Gerwen – it’s because of Luke Littler. He is helping out the rest of the boys as much as himself by projecting our sport to a whole new level.”
Littler beat Van Gerwen, Aspinall and Gerwyn Price to back up his maiden Premierleague onenight triumph in Belfast with a win on home soil.
He is now within touching distance of next month’s playmental offs and responded to Aspinall’s ‘celebrity’ compliment with a diffident shrug. The Warrington whizzkid said: “Maybe if you look at my following on social media I might be classed as a celebrity. But I’m just a lad doing what he does best. Am I a celebrity? I don’t know. I’m just a dart player. I just get on with it, whatever comes my way.
“It was good to be on BBC Breakfast. When I was a kid I used to watch it. I’m wary of saying things and not backing it up, but at the minute I’m saying things and I do back it up.
“Do I pinch myself? I try to live my life as I have done. Travelling every Wednesday, playing these guys I’ve been looking up to in the Premier League...i just thrive off it. It gets me pumped.”
In Manchester on Thursday night, Littler put away an outof-sorts MVG 6-3 in what was a tame instalment of their growing rivalry but he knows that, on the oche, form is temporary while class is permanent.
Luke the Nuke (in winning form, left) said: “We all know he’s not playing to his best ability, certainly I didn’t against him. The scrappier games are the better ones to win, just get yourself over the line.
“But every time I’ve beaten Michael it’s been pretty comfortable, 6-2 or 6-3.
“When he’s beaten me we’ve had to go to a last leg.
“But we know he’s not playing that well right now. I’m just glad to get the better of him while he’s playing bad.”
‘What’s he’s doing for the sport, as a 17-year-old, is just so incredible’