- Luke Littler beat Michael van Gerwen to win his first World Darts Championship
- The 17-year-old needs to win 16 more to break Phil Taylor’s record
- Taylor says it will be tough because the players will raise their game against him
Phil Taylor has backed Luke Littler to break his record 16 world titles but says the 17-year-old must overcome “Man Utd syndrome” to do so.
Littler became the youngest player to win the World Championship at Alexandra Palace earlier this month to cap off a brilliant debut year on tour.
After securing his first crown, Littler has said he can try to top Taylor’s results if he has the desire in the coming decades.
Taylor, 64, wants him to — even though he says he would have beaten Littler in his prime.
“If he wants to break my world record, then he can go ahead and do it,” Taylor told the PA news agency.
‘It will be difficult, to win 16 titles you have to be in many finals.
Phil Taylor believes Luke Littler is capable of breaking his record of 16 world titles
‘It’s a lot of darts, a lot of hotels, a lot of miles travelled. He would have to play for the next 20 years to come close to my record and for 20 years he would have to be dedicated and make sure he does everything right.
– It is difficult when you are young and have money in the bank. I was 30 when I won for the first time, so I had done all that before.
You get what I used to call the Man Utd syndrome – and Liverpool have it too – where everyone raises their game against you, so you have to be at your best every round.
And it can take its toll on you. Especially when you get beat up because everyone is asking you, ‘Why did he lose? What was wrong with him? Why has his bubble burst?’.
“Everybody loves to see you up there, and then they love to see you get knocked out, too. That’s how you take it, but I think he’s mentally strong enough to handle it.
I’ve had my day but I would have loved to play Luke at my best, we would have had a great match. I think I would have beaten him but I’m not sure!
Littler has already transcended the sport in a way Taylor never could, even with his total dominance over a 20-year span.
Taylor, although widely recognized in darts, is not bitter.
Littler became the youngest player to win the world championship earlier this month
‘Dart has gone mad. You wouldn’t believe the difference since young Luke came along, Taylor said.
‘I’m fine, I’m too old for all that now. I have had 40 years in my career, it may come and it may go. I have nothing but credit for the boy, I think the world of him. I think it’s great to see darts so popular. I’m fine, I love my life.’
Littler’s rise has seen the sport’s popularity boom and now fans can watch the MODUS Series – a weekly tournament that gives lower-level players a chance to win prize money – for free and exclusively live on Pluto TV.
“For people who love darts, it’s good because it’s on 24 hours a day for them so they can pick and choose when they watch it,” added Taylor, who works as a pundit for Pluto TV. “Everything is new and exciting.”
