Darts icon Bobby George has warned Luke Littler that the rigours of competing in this season’s Premier League could give him an unwelcome shock. Littler has been selected by Sky Sports and the PDC to compete for the competition’s £275,000 top prize after his crowd-pulling exploits at the World Darts Championship.
Littler’s name was on everyone’s lips as he forged into the depth of darts’ showpiece tournament at the Alexandra Palace. In the end he fell just short of clinching the title as he lost 7-4 to Luke Humphries in the final.
But his mesmerising run, and the astonishing viewing figures that came with it, prompted Premier League Darts organisers to name the 16-year-old in their exclusive eight-player line-up last week.
While playing in front of huge crowds in the likes of Rotterdam, Berlin and London has been described as a ‘dream come true’ by Littler himself, ‘King of Bling’ George believes that the demanding nature of the 17-week competition cannot be taken lightly.
“He’s going to have a bit of a shock,” the 78-year-old, who reached two BDO world finals during his career, told The Sun. “He has a lot of travelling and timekeeping to do.
“He’ll be worn out. He won’t be home very much. He’s young. He has a commitment and he has got to do it. But he has a good family behind him.”
“Luke will do well, especially if he plays like he played in that final,” he continued. “That young man has a lot of bottle. Big Luke [Humphries] won 25 legs in the game. Little Luke, the boy, won 23. That’s how close it was. It was one of the best finals I’ve ever seen.
“I enjoyed it more than any other World Championship final. The crowd will be on his side in the Premier League. The PDC are not silly. He’s going to be a crowd-puller. He has got to do what he’s been doing. Don’t change anything. I like the fact he can count very well on the dartboard.”
