Luke Littler went against darts icon’s advice who humbly admits ‘he proved me wrong’

Darts phenomenon Luke Littler won the Premier League Darts title on his debut season on the PDC circuit - but one darts legend admits he would have advised against it

Dennis Priestley was proved wrong regarding his advice for Luke Littler to shun the Premier League before his debut victory.

The 1994 PDC world champion voiced concern over Littler's Premier League eligibility and suggested the prodigy might have been biting off more than he could chew. Despite the reservations from darts veteran Priestley, 'The Nuke' Littler defied expectations with a stunning performance in his Premier League debut.

He exacted sweet revenge on Luke Humphries in the final, scooping up a cool £315,000 prize fund and silencing any doubters. His haul included £275,000 for his final win and an additional £40,000 from his four victories in the regular season.

Now Littler is poised to make his World Grand Prix debut on Monday when he faces Rob Cross. And Priestley is only too happy to accept he erred in his worries over the 17-year-old being able to compete against the darts elite.

In an interview with the Daily Express on behalf of BoyleSports, who sponsor and offer the latest World Grand Prix odds, Priestley said: "Obviously he's not done bad so far. He's gone against what my advice would have been. I would not have put him in the Premier League so quickly.

"I would have used him as an extra game. . .but he proved me wrong. He went on and won it, so who am I to criticise putting him in so quickly? I thought it might have been too much."

Littler's achievements are all the more remarkable considering his age and the rarity of such players his age making waves on the professional darts circuit. Beyond the Premier League, Littler also bagged £80,000 after his dominant win against Michael Smith in the World Series of Darts final.

The up-and-comer is set to mark another milestone as he faces off against Cross in the first round of the Grand Prix. The victor of their match will move on to compete against either Brendan Dolan or Martin Schindler in what could be a handy route to the last eight.

Priestley, 74, had cautioned The Nuke against plunging into Premier League waters immediately following his breakout at Alexandra Palace last year. His primary concern was the intense schedule, which he worried might hinder Littler's progress.

But rather than impede his evolution, Littler seems to be thriving under the increased responsibilities in his breakout campaign. And that makes the teenager a dangerous prospect coming into his first World Grand Prix, where Priestley was a semi-finalist on three occasions.

That theory will face a stern examination when he squares off against 'Voltage' in his curtain-raiser at the Morningside Arena. A hefty £120,000 first-place prize awaits the winner in Leicester, with Littler at the ready to impress among his elders once again.

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