ASPINALL HITS OUT AT LITTLER BOO BOYS

By Phil Lanning

NATHAN ASPINALL says fans “need to sort their heads out” and stop booing Luke Littler.  

The World No.14 has leapt to the defence of his pal after the crowds turned against The Nuke earlier in the Premier League campaign. 

Littler, 19, has responded to the abuse in sensational fashion with three successive nightly wins – and is chasing a record seventh victory in Birmingham on Thursday night.  

Aspinall, 34, speaking on the Double Tops podcast, said: “We had the same manager and I saw first-hand everything he did with the media and other bits after he won the World Championship. I can tell you that full-time seasoned pros who had been in the game for 10 years or longer couldn’t have done what he did. 

“There’s so much pressure on him from so many different people and the stuff he’s done, like presenting Brit Awards, is genuinely unheard of for darts. He’s just embraced it. 

“I was doing an exhibition with him in Scotland last weekend and I said a few on the mic. I basically said that ‘this is the kid that has got all of your kids into darts’ and all of sudden everyone has forgotten about that. Those booing him need to sort their heads out because Luke needs the respect he deserves. 

“I’m really good mates with Luke but there is some stuff he can do that I can’t. He’s the flagbearer for darts and I think he deserves a lot more credit than he actually gets. 

“He doesn’t care. People say he doesn’t practice and he genuinely doesn’t at all. I don’t know how he does it because most of us need to practice before we play.

“Luke literally will throw 12 darts, go on stage and average 115. I couldn’t do that if I practised for five hours!” 

Aspinall also revealed why he wasn’t included in the Premier League line-up in 2026.  

He added: “I was told my ranking was too low. I was 13th in the rankings at the time and the PDC didn’t think that was high enough.  

“In all honesty, last year I didn’t think I deserved to get in the Premier League but this year I did. I know my ranking was slightly low but apart from Littler I think I made the most finals of any player on the tour. 

“I did feel hard done by this year, I really did, but it’s swings and roundabouts, isn’t it? I didn’t think I should have been in the tournament 12 months ago and I got to the semis. 

“I’d like to think I’ll be back in it next year. It’s done me the world of good not being in it this year for sure. I love the Premier League but it’s tough – 17 weeks of being constantly under the spotlight takes its toll and it’s been nice to step away from that. 

“I don’t care about trophies. I do this game because it’s my job and I don’t ever want my kids or me to have to ever worry about money. 

“Honest to god, I couldn’t care less about the trophies. Of course I want to win tournaments and I’ll be buzzing to add another trophy to my trophy cabinet but, for me, it’s very much a case of trying to make as much money as I possibly can over the next 10 years.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.