CLAYTON REVEALS WHY LITTLER MAY NOT BREAK TAYLOR’S RECORDS

JONNY CLAYTON believes Luke Littler will not stick around in darts long enough to break Phil Taylor's incredible records.

World No5 Clayton reckons Littler has the talent to challenge The Power's achievements but doubts he'll match his longevity.

Clayton, 51, is unsure whether the teen sensation will want to keep playing for decades due to the shear amounts of prize money now on offer in the game.

Taylor lifted an incredible 87 major titles which included 16 World Championship crowns.

But Littler is already on the verge of becoming the first £3million man in the sport after just three and a half years on the PDC Tour.

Clayton told talkSPORT: "Maybe. The answer changes so much. Phil was fantastic – the GOAT, as everyone says.

“His trophy cabinet is incredible and I don't think that will ever be beaten.

"With Luke Littler, I'm not sure he'll be in the game for as long as Phil was. The money that's in darts now is huge. Does he need to play for that amount of time?

"Phil was there for years and years and years, and that's why his trophy cabinet became so big.

“The sport is getting bigger, sponsorship is getting bigger and prize money is getting bigger.

“In the end, it comes down to the individual. Does he want it that much?

“Phil obviously did. If you compare Phil's prize money to what Luke Littler has already earned in a relatively short amount of time, he's probably catching up already."

But The Ferret believes Littler would come out on top against Taylor if both were at their peak on the oche.

He added: "Oh my God. That's a great question. It would be a tough match, I can tell you that. I think Littler would take it.

"Nothing seems to faze him. He never looks under pressure. It's amazing the way he does it. I'm sure he just switches on and thinks, "I'll hit what I want and I'm in the game.

“He's fantastic. What a player. He's going to have a great future and he's a great kid as well.

“I'm honoured to be a part of the journey he's on. But I can always say I beat him twice in the Premier League!”

Clayton is looking forward to returning to the US Darts Masters after featuring in the tournament's inaugural staging at Madison Square Garden in 2022.

The four-time major winner faces Gary Mawson in New York on Friday and is eager to experience the event's unique atmosphere once again.

He continued: "Well, obviously darts is still quite new in America, so it's nice to see new crowds. It's nice to be involved in something that we're trying to grow across the world.

“When you go around Europe and back home in the UK, we're used to those crowds and that atmosphere.

“To come out to America and play in front of American crowds, where it's still new to us and probably new to them as well, is really exciting.

“They're loud, aren't they? The Americans are brilliant.

“That's what we want. If they're having a good time, it means we're doing something right. When they're chanting and singing, whatever it may be, it lifts our game as well. I think it helps us as players play a little bit better.

“It's great for us as players and it's great for the sport itself. Darts has just become massive.

"Where's it going to stop? I've only been involved in the professional game for about 10 years and I've already seen a massive change. I just hope it keeps growing bigger and bigger."

Words: Aaron Nijjar

Image: Taylor Lanning