Darts icon Gary Anderson has insisted that the media will be at fault if it goes “t*** up” for Luke Littler over the pressure he is being put under at the World Championship. The 16-year-old faces Raymond van Barneveld on Saturday evening for a place in the quarter-finals and has been the story of the tournament, documented in depth by many major news outlets
But speaking after his 4-1 win over Croatian star Boris Krcmar on Friday, Anderson hit out at the media during his post-match press conference for their reporting on Littler – who has quickly become a household name after his stunning displays at Alexandra Palace this month.
The 53-year-old believes that too much pressure and attention has been heaped onto young players in recent years, pointing out Josh Rock who Anderson claims was knocked back “two to three years” because of the media.
Anderson spoke at length about Littler and explained: “See this now, because with another youngster called Josh Rock. All you press and everything else have absolutely destroyed (Rock). So if it ever goes t*** up give yourselves a pat on the back because that’s the way it’s going.
“Let the boy play darts. I’ve been downstairs today and he’s had cameras, Zoom calls, Sky, let the boy play darts. He’s had a great two minutes, he’s played well, what happens if it all goes peacock now? Well you boys have ruined that haven’t you? Let the boy play darts, he’s 16 years old and playing well, just like Josh Rock. Fantastic player, but you have knocked him back about two to three years.”
Littler has already been forced to release a statement on social media clarifying his position after a recent photo was taken and included in a newspaper article.
