LITTLER TOLD TO LEARN FROM LIVERPOOL FRUSTRATION

By Aaron Nijjar  

LUKE LITTLER has come under scrutiny following a controversial outburst after his Premier League defeat to Michael van Gerwen in Liverpool last week.

‘The Nuke’ reacted angrily to sections of the crowd after his 6-5 loss at the M&S Bank Arena.

World champion Littler who is a Man United fan had stormed into a 4-0 lead against Van Gerwen in Merseyside.

But the seven-times Premier League winner mounted a dramatic comeback after he won six of the next seven legs to secure victory.

The Liverpool crowd grew louder as momentum shifted and Littler was visibly frustrated as the match slipped away.

Former professional Vincent van der Voort admits Littler being visibly upset with the crowd was out of character for the teen.

He said on the Darts Draait podcast: “Sure, you can provoke the crowd, but you have to be able to take it when it comes back at you.

“He’s still young and needs to learn how to deal with this.

“You don’t need to provoke or respond to the crowd. I’ve never seen him like that before—he usually comes across as so calm, like nothing fazes him.

“This was a completely different side.”

The Dutchman concluded by highlighting how such reactions can encourage more provocation from the stands.

He added: “For the guy in the crowd, this was probably the highlight of his night.

“Imagine you’re a Liverpool fan and you managed to get under Littler’s skin. He was up 4-0 and still lost 6-5.

“That’s a dream scenario for them.”

Warrington whizkid Littler returns to action today (Thursday) at the Premier League in Birmingham on Night 13 when he faces Stephen Bunting.

World No. 2 Littler is searching for a record FIFTH nightly win and is four points clear at the top of the table ahead of big rival Luke Humphries. 

Image by Taylor Lanning.