Luke Littler has responded to claims made by Raymond van Barneveld that he ignored text messages from the darting ace. Van Barneveld called out the teenage sensation earlier this month, but the pair have since smoothed things over.
Littler beating Van Barneveld at the 2024 World Darts Championship was just one of several high points for the Runcorn-born starlet. Having idolised the Dutchman growing up, Littler made light work of him during their fourth-round meeting at the Alexandra Palace.
However, Van Barneveld was said to have been frustrated after the event when Littler aired congratulatory messages from the five-time world champion. During an interview with Dutch outlet Sportnieuws.nl, Van Barneveld said: “I understand that you get thousands of text messages but of course I’m not just anyone. If I’ve been your inspiration for years, I also expect a text message back. Dude’s on his phone all day, f*** off.”
Littler beating Van Barneveld at the 2024 World Darts Championship was just one of several high points for the Runcorn-born starlet. Having idolised the Dutchman growing up, Littler made light work of him during their fourth-round meeting at the Alexandra Palace.
However, Van Barneveld was said to have been frustrated after the event when Littler aired congratulatory messages from the five-time world champion. During an interview with Dutch outlet Sportnieuws.nl, Van Barneveld said: “I understand that you get thousands of text messages but of course I’m not just anyone. If I’ve been your inspiration for years, I also expect a text message back. Dude’s on his phone all day, f*** off.”
Littler hasn’t taken offence by it. Instead, after waltzing to victory on Night Nine of the 2024 Premier League in Belfast, the 17-year-old was asked if the comments had hurt him, to which he replied: “Disappointed? No. He messaged Martin [Foulds, Littler’s manager] and said, ‘Don’t listen to them, I didn’t say anything.’ That’s it.”
It’s been a blink-and-you-miss-it rise to stardom for Littler, who has had to juggle competing on the biggest stages, along with maintaining his public perception. When quizzed on how he’s managing his schedule, Littler told Sky Sports: “If no-one’s enjoying it, you won’t perform. If you don’t enjoy it, you’re not going to play well.
“As soon as I got the call-up, I knew what every arena had. Five thousand or 10 thousand plus. I can’t wait for next week in Manchester. I know I’ve got [Michael] Van Gerwen in the first round. Nath [Aspinall] will enjoy it in his hometown, and it’s close to mine too. I can’t wait.”
Having toppled training partner and good friend Nathan Aspinall in Thursday’s Premier League final, Littler will travel to Manchester in stellar form. With his commanding victory against Aspinall, Littler moved up to second in the overall standings, climbing above pre-tournament favourite Michael Van Gerwen. And as the regular season edges towards its conclusion, Littler is well-placed to qualify for the last four, with the teen dreaming of a sensational triumph on his Premier League debut.
