Phil Taylor has admitted he’s told Luke Littler that he’s ‘mental’ for not practicising as night four of the Premier League looms.
Littler has endured a difficult start to this year’s competition, with the 19-year-old amassing just four points.
The darts sensation, who previously triumphed in the tournament back in 2024, has also won just one match from fixtures in Newcastle, Antwerp and Glasgow.
It is Jonny Clayton and Michael van Gerwen who appear the men to beat at the current moment in time, with the duo having nine and eight points respectively.
Littler is a two-time world champion and has previously admitted in the past that he rarely practicises. Natural talent, in his eyes, is enough.
Yet Taylor, speaking to the Express, has admitted that he’s astonished by the youngster’s stance on the matter – though is still coming him to come good and showcase his best form.
“Last week, he went to Tenerife,” he said.
Phil Taylor has admitted he’s told Luke Littler that he’s ‘mental’ for not practicising as night four of the Premier League looms
|PA
“He was with me on the Sunday [at an exhibition], then went to Tenerife for two days, so that’ll knock you out. He obviously felt like he needed a break and a bit of sunshine.
“I said, ‘Are you not practising?’ He said, ‘Nah’. I said, ‘You’re mental, you are, I don’t know how you do it!’ Sometimes, if talent doesn’t work hard, hard work will beat talent.
“These [other] players will be practising. But he’ll be there or thereabouts [in the Premier League]. I’ve done that myself, had a slow start and ended up winning it.”
Five things to know about Luke Littler | PADespite Littler’s young age, he’s already being compared to Taylor.
The teenager did manage to win in Poland over the weekend, with rival Gian van Veen defeated in the final.
And Taylor has made it clear he’s got nothing but positive things to say about Littler, with the darts icon blown away by how good he is.
He continued: “He is phenomenal, I can’t say a bad word about him.
“And when he says he doesn’t practice, he really doesn’t. I was with him a couple of weeks ago at Chester. He sat there [before a match] and he never threw a dart. He then went out there and beat Luke Humphries 8-1!
“I could not do that. He’s better than me in that regard. If I was there for two hours beforehand, I’d be practising for two hours. But he’s capable of doing it, he’s brilliant.”
Luke Littler is yet to win a Premier League night so far
| GETTYLittler returns to action in Belfast this evening.
The youngster will go up against Clayton, who will be hoping to build on his victory in Glasgow last time out.
Van Gerwen, who missed last week due to illness, will lock horns with Gerwyn Price.
Stephen Bunting vs Luke Humphries and Van Veen vs Josh Rock make up the other two quarter-final ties.