Luke Littler makes £1million Darts decision as Premier League lineup confirmed
Luke Littler, the 16-year-old darts sensation, has been included in the £1million Premier League and admits: "It's the opportunity of a lifetime".
Littler, who started the World Championship ranked 164th in the world, beat Christian Kist, Andrew Gilding, Matt Campbell, Raymond van Barneveld, Brendan Dolan and Rob Cross to reach the final. However, the teenager couldn't find his way past newly-minted world No.1 Luke Humphries, who rallied to win a barnstorming Ally Pally final 7-4 and secure his fourth major title of the season.
There had been talk before the final about if Littler would be named on the Premier League tour, whether he won the tournament or not. And although Littler didn't claim the top prize, he has been offered and accepted a place alongside seven others in the competition.
New world champion Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright, Nathan Aspinall, Cross and Littler make up the eight-player line-up for the 2024 Premier League campaign. There is no place for Dimitri Van den Bergh, Chris Dobey or Jonny Clayton, who were all part of the 2023 tournament.
Van Gerwen, who suffered a shock defeat to Scott Williams in the World Darts Championship quarter-final, won last year's Premier League after beating Price 11-5 in the final. The 34-year-old Dutchman has won the Premier League on seven separate occasions since 2013.
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As for Littler, he has moved into the top 32 in the rankings and is set to earn a one-year professional tour card for 2024. Littler could have jumped to as high as ninth in the world if he had beaten Humphries, but he will have to settle for being the 31st best player on the planet at present.
He is guaranteed a minimum £60,000 in prize money.
Luke Littler will take his place in this year's Premier League (Getty Images)Speaking about his inclusion, Littler said: “It will be right up my street and I can't wait. Obviously Manchester and Liverpool are very close to my home town (Warrington) and I'm looking forward to the magnificent Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Cardiff, Brighton... it's going to be an amazing experience.
“Playing darts week in, week out, in front of tens of thousands of fans, against the world's best players, is a dream come true. I'm looking forward to the Mercedes-Benz arena – it's massive and they have a nice crowd over there in Germany.
“It might be lively in Cardiff if I end up playing Gezzy there on the opening night when he gets the crowd on his side but it will be an amazing experience and a good test for myself. But that's the nature of the Premier League – I've just got to do what I do and show why I'm there every week.”
Littler spoke to his parents, father Anthony and mum Lisa, about the heavy 17-week schedule and everything that entails before making his decision. He added: “Everyone has been saying, 'Will it help me or will it put me off?' But I sat down with my mum and dad, who said it's going to be difficult to play every week in the Premier League, the Pro Tour and potentially the European Tour as well.
“But it's the opportunity of a lifetime to play in the Premier League, which is probably the second-biggest competition on the darts calendar, and it was too good to turn down.
“It fills my diary even more, which means more days of darts, but that's my job now and I've got to take it as it comes.”
The Premier League season kicks off in Cardiff on February 1.
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