Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler will be aiming to go one better at Alexandra Palace this year after storming onto the scene before losing to Luke Humphries in the final
Darts legend Bobby George has told Luke Littler to keep his feet on the ground – and then rocket to the world title.
‘The Nuke’ returns to Alexandra Palace this week looking to go one step further than his sensational PDC World Championship debut last year where he lost in the final to Luke Humphries. Littler, 17, has won over £1million in prize money so far in 2024 and looks certain to add a hefty chunk more to that total once the World Championships are over.
But George, a two-time runner-up in the BDO version of the championship in the 1980s and 90s, believes the teen prodigy must be careful.
He said: “A young man like that, earning that money… I’m sure he wants to spend it on the things that we all did. Nice car, nice clothes – sometimes it can be difficult when all of those things come at once. The reality is, it’s hard for people to expect someone like Luke to behave in exactly the same way he did before Ally Pally last year because he turned into a superstar at that tournament. His life changed and he probably couldn’t do all the normal things he used to do.
“Money and fame, it can be awkward for some people. People can change. My advice to him would be to simply keep his feet on the ground and do exactly what he’s done all year – play darts and don’t get involved in people saying, ‘Sign this contract, do this,’ because there’s a lot of sharks out there. Just keep your feet on the ground, don’t grow up too quickly. You can go from a hero to zero overnight in darts. If he keeps his head down, has the right people around him and stays dedicated to the game, he’s going to make a lot more money in his career, that boy.”
And George believes Littler can start by becoming world champion on January 3. Assuming, of course, he successfully navigates the “dodgy” opening rounds.
George added: “He seems more relaxed now. I’ve noticed when he’s playing, he’s smiling a bit more and having a bit of banter. I think he can actually go all the way but it’s difficult. When you get to a final the following year is tougher to get to that final and the pressure is on – not to mention the media attention. Now, you can have all the ability you want, but you still need that bit of luck in the game.
“The first and second rounds are dodgy. That’s the thing, that’s when great players can come unstuck. They’re so used to playing long matches that they can get out of trouble, but when it’s shorter, the format becomes difficult. He’s got to try to relax. Where he’s got to in such a short time, it’s really amazing. Of course he can do it, he’s got the gift to win it.”
● Bobby George was speaking on behalf of 10bet.
