Poker-faced Luke Littler reckons he’s able to hide nerves and accepts he’s now being targeted by the game’s elite.
The Nuke begins his Premier League campaign against Michael van Gerwen on Thursday night. Littler is the defending champion and also world champion and his rise in the game brings a raft of expectations and pressures. Even though he struggled and shed tears after his opening Ally Pally win over Ryan Meikle in December to kickstart his run to glory, the 18-year-old managed to keep it under wraps until the board business was completed.
Littler said: “I don’t think us players show that we do feel the pressure. Looking back at the first round against Ryan, I’ve come off stage and I was saying to my mum and dad: Did I look nervous? They said no, so it doesn’t show that I am nervous. Most of the time I’m not nervous, but when I am, I’m feeling it, but obviously I don’t show it.
“It’s definitely different to Bahrain where I went there as defending champion. This is probably the biggest one I’m going to defend all year round until it does come to the World Championships. But tomorrow night it’s just so important to hopefully get that win in the first game against Michael.
“Obviously I’ve not got into the arena yet, but at the minute I’m feeling okay. Maybe I might feel nervous when it does come to the task tomorrow, but there’s always nerves on the first few legs. I’m just hoping for a quick start, just like the World Final.
“I was going into my first Premier League campaign as a wild card, as I’d say. People were saying not he’s not good enough, but he’s not ready for it. But I just grabbed the opportunity while I could. Obviously now I’ve won it, it gave me a lot of confidence going into it with the Euro Tours, obviously winning the World Series and now I’m a World Champion.”
Littler knows the rest are out to get him now, but said: “Ever since last year I know that these players are going to have to pull it out of the bag to beat me. But when they do beat me with a high average, it’s also good for them and I’m like: You’ve got it there, but can you do it in the next game and the next game after that?
“But, when a player does beat me with a high average, you do see them go out next round. But obviously seeing Johnny Clayton in the Masters, fair play to Jonny going all the way to the final. But most of the time people have beat me and sadly they do go out next round.
“The high averages, it’s a good thing for us players. But the most important thing is just winning. Obviously we don’t win every time. Obviously when I do lose, it’s high averages, but it’s just those two shots or even a shot or double that I am missing. Looking back at the Masters against Johnny, it was just the first set where I missed three or four darts in the first set. Jonny kicked on and he stuck at that high 100-103 average. “
Littler against MVG is a repeat of the Ally Pally Final, but they have played since in Den Bosch and the kid said: “No, I’ve not watched it back, I’ve only watched the winning double. He’s going to be up for it, he’s going to be hungry and I’m obviously up for it as the reigning champion. I think whoever wins tomorrow, it’s going to be big for both of us.”