Luke Littler admits Michael van Gerwen was right to hammer him and he’s had a telling off.
The Nuke annoyed his Dutch rival when he turned up 45 minutes after scheduled start time of the press launch for the Premier League Darts in Belfast. Van Gerwen said Littler wasn’t a baby anymore and it wasn’t nice to leave seven colleagues standing around waiting, while ex-World champ Dennis Priestley has demanded he be fined.
Ahead of tonight’s crunch clash with MVG, the teenager was asked about his rival having something to say about his bad timekeeping and he said: “I always let my darts do the talking, but he’s not wrong, I was late and now I’m 18, I’m responsible for my actions and I did get a little telling off.” Littler can now make the talk about his darts as he looks to repeat his World Final hammering of MVG.
He added: “It definitely feels different because last year was the first night in Cardiff where I was coming in as a wild card as you would say and a World Championship runner-up, but it’s totally different with the titles I’ve got and obviously coming in as World Champion. But no, I’m just very excited and looking forward to that first game against Michael Van Gerwen.
“Obviously the last match I played was against Johnny Clayton in the Masters, 108 average, but just looking back at the World Final where I got off to that quick start against Michael and it was too much for him, so hopefully I can get off to a quick start tonight and finish it.”