Michael van Gerwen has warned Luke Littler there will be ‘no mercy’ for him when he takes to the stage for his Premier League debut in Cardiff on Thursday evening. Littler was granted a spot on the prestigious tour on the back of his incredible run to the World Darts Championship final, where he was beaten by Luke Humphries.
Littler has since won the Bahrain Masters and reached the final of the Dutch Masters, where he finished as runner-up to Van Gerwen, to underline his status as the brightest prospect in darts. The 17-year-old will face Humphries again on the opening night of the Premier League in Cardiff but Van Gerwen has warned him not to expect any special treatment purely because of his age.
“Welcome to the big boys,” said the Dutchman. “Those days have gone. He is not a youth player anymore. Of course, he’s still only a kid. Now you have got to battle against each other on the stage, there cannot be any mercy or whatsoever. You have to fight for every leg, every game. Everyone plays for themselves.”
Littler has found himself at the centre of media attention over the last few weeks after becoming an overnight celebrity following his impressive World Darts Championship run. Van Gerwen is among Littler’s admirers but has questioned the hype surrounding the teenage superstar, insisting that he will need to perform at the same level for decades to be considered one of the best.
“He had a fabulous last two months but two months only,” added Van Gerwen. “He needs to do it for a very long time. Has he got everything to be a top 10 player in the next 20 years. Do you know what I mean? He has got everything. You still have to do it. He is still young.”
Littler will be hoping to make the perfect start to his Premier League campaign by beating Humphries again following his victory over the reigning world champion at the Dutch Masters. He is not exactly short on confidence ahead of his debut in Cardiff after beating several of the biggest names in darts over the last six weeks.
“I have already beaten five of the Premier League line-up over the past two weeks,” said Littler. “I know I can beat anyone when I am on it. I also know the other seven guys will be on it every week.
‘Going over to Bahrain and Den Bosch, it gives me every confidence. I have beaten Gezzy [Gerwyn Price] twice. I beat Van Gerwen in the final. I lost to Van Gerwen in the final. It has given me a confidence boost as I know how to beat them.”
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