Phil Taylor has told Luke Littler what he needs to do to exceed his 16 world titles – and it’s nothing to do with darts.
The 17-year-old has the world at his feet after a meteoric rise over the last 12 months took him to the top of the game.
Having made his World Championship debut last year and losing to Luke Humphries in the final, Littler went one better this time around by beating Michael Van Gerwen to claim the crown at Ally Pally.
As well as taking his career earnings to over £1million, it means that Littler is already ranked second in the PDC Order Of Merit behind Humphries – a remarkable achievement for someone of his age.
So when it comes to advice, Taylor was keen to give the youngster some practical advice away from the board.
“If I could give him one piece of advice, it wouldn’t be anything to do with his darts or the way he navigates his way around the board,” he remarked.
“I would tell him, ‘Shoes – if you’re not standing comfortably on the oche, you’re not going to hit a target the size of your little fingernail, so make sure your shoes fit perfectly and take two or three pairs with you everywhere.’
“And sleep – make sure you get enough rest.
“I still take a mattress topper with me everywhere I go because some hotels beds are like sleeping in the middle of the road.
“Again, your darts won’t go where you want them to land if you are bleary-eyed after a restless night.”
Having won the Premier League, the World Series Of Darts and the Grand Slam Of Darts, Littler has already racked up four major titles in his career.
With one World Championship under his belt, there’s some way to go to reach The Power’s record of 16 world titles.
GettyLittler has now won his first world title at the age of just 17[/caption]
AFPBut he’s got some work to do to beat Phil Taylor’s record of 16[/caption]
But it would take a brave person to bet against The Nuke doing so at some point in his incredibly bright future.
Taylor said of the teenage starlet: “It’s entirely up to Luke how long he plays, how dedicated he remains and many titles he wins.
“For now, just let the kid play. He’s a world champion at 17 years old, the youngest to do it by a mile, and he’s just brilliant.”
Taylor continued: “When people ask how many world titles he can win, don’t forget he has all the time in the world if he wants it.
“I was nearly 30 when I won my first world championship, and Paul Lim won more than twice as much as me for hitting a nine-darter as I got for winning the whole thing.
“To win 16 of them in a 23-year period took a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifices.
“Only Luke himself knows, deep down, if he is prepared to put in the hours, and it’s up to him whether he wins another one, or five, or 15, 16, 17 and goes past me – but he’s young enough to do it.
“Let’s enjoy him, let’s celebrate a kid who is the best in the world at what he does, and worry later about how much he’s achieved when he decides to stop.
“But if he’s still playing at 40, it will mean he’s won a lot more.”