Luke Littler: Defending Premier League title 'would mean everything' to world champion
2025-02-06
Category: sports

World champion Luke Littler says retaining his Premier League Darts title "would mean everything".The 18-year-old won the eight-player elite invitational tournament in his debut year in 2024, defeating Luke Humphries in the decider.In a repeat of January's World Championship final, Littler kicks off his title defence on Thursday against Michael van Gerwen in Belfast, where he won his first night of Premier League Darts last year. "Ever since last year, I know these players are going to have to pull it out of the bag to beat me," said Littler."This is probably the biggest one I'm going to defend all round until it comes to the World Championships."Premier League Darts takes place over 16 nights in February, March, April and May across the UK, Ireland and Europe, before the play-offs in London on 29 May. Littler says his goal is to secure a top-four finish to secure a place on finals night at London's O2 Arena."I have to get the top four, but I want to get that win tomorrow night. "If it doesn't happen, then I'll reset but I'm hoping for a quick start tomorrow just like the world final."Throughout the weeks [last year] I was always fourth or fifth, and I went on the run I went on with more wins."
Littler said that winning the Premier League title gave him the confidence to push on and become world champion. He says that lifting the World Championship "was a different feeling" compared to winning the Premier League crown after he felt people questioned his place in the competition."I was going into my first Premier League as a wildcard, I would say," Littler added."People were saying I wasn't ready for it but I just grabbed the opportunity while I could. "Now I've won it, it gave me a lot of confidence going into the world tours, the Euro series and now I'm world champion."He says he has not watched his final back, only the match-winning throw."I'm just hoping to win that first game against Michael, get some points on the board and see from there," he adds."He's going to be up for it, he's going to be hungry. I'm obviously up for it as the reigning champion, so whoever wins tomorrow it will be big for both of us." You can follow live text commentary from each match day on the BBC Sport website.
Premier League Darts - Belfast
Quarter-final schedule - 6 FebruaryChris Dobey v Gerwyn PriceStephen Bunting v Rob CrossLuke Littler v Michael van GerwenLuke Humphries v Nathan Aspinall