LITTLER DITCHES TALK OF WEARING EAR PLUGS!

LUKE LITTLER won’t consider earplugs to block out any more Ally Pally barracking.

And, as he reflects on 2025, he’ll drown in the sounds of the best year of his life and not the down times through a rollercoaster 12 months.

Littler has freely admitted he’s prepared to face the worst as he returns to the stage to face Krzysztof Ratajski after his controversial speech on Monday after beating Rob Cross.

The teenager might get booed more. He might get backed to the hilt. Whatever happens, he’ll hear it clearly and won’t block it out.

Gerwyn Price may have famously worn headphones back in the day to block out abuse, but Littler won’t bother stuffing things in his ears as, asked if he’s consider earplugs, he replied: “No way. What did Gezzy say? Put them on and it was even worse.”

Littler was also hounded in Germany by home fans at the World Cup, but, instead of negatives, he’ll focus on the great things. Six major titles. A rise to World No.1. The Sid Waddell Trophy in his house.

He said: “Obviously it’s the best year of my life. Only thing missing, the Masters, the Premier League and the Europeans. Yeah, that’s it. But we go again next year to tick them off.”

Littler isn’t short of motivations. There’s £1 million on offer for this year’s champion, but he said: “When you’re on stage, there’s not a million quid there. It’s the trophy, not the money. So that’s the only thing you should be thinking of.

“A million pounds, seven digits. But, yeah, if the other players in the tournament want to think about it, they can. But I just want to go back to back.”

Gary Anderson was the last man to do that a decade ago and an eight-year-old Littler was watching. He said: “You don’t think I’d miss the World Final! I think even when Smithy [Michael Smith] won it, I think I was on the Dev Tour then, so obviously the year before. We watch every final, we don’t miss one and, hopefully, we can go again next year. That’s how far I’ve come, that’s how far my family’s come and we’re here today.”

Littler’s mind will stay focused on the job due to the lessons he learned from the experience of the Cross clash.

He said: “Obviously there’s been quite a few times where I’ve let it out at the end and I think that’s sort of the best thing to do. Obviously I’ve given it a little bit for a few 180s to leave a two-darter or to leave a three-darter early on in the game.

“But I know myself now, just save it until the end from now on. I know I can throw a good dart or two. But that [Monday] just goes to show how well I’ve grown up myself. On the Ally Pally stage, never experienced anything like that here.

“Obviously the fans are behind you, they’re not in front of you. What’s in front of you? It’s a dartboard and that’s what you’ve got to do. Just got to play my darts and win.”

Image by TAYLOR LANNING.