Luke Littler is still only 18. (Image: Getty)
might have been tipped to challenge Phil Taylor’s incredible haul of 16 world titles but he won’t be following in his footsteps when it comes to longevity. ‘The Power’ was 57 when he retired from professional darts following his final defeat to Rob Cross at Alexandra Palace.
In contrast, Littler has only just turned 18, and already has a world crown and a title to his name.
But despite predictions the teenage sensation will go on to dominate his sport for years to come, it seems he has no plans to compete at the top level for the next 40 years or so.
In fact, ‘The Nuke’ has even hinted he could walk away from the oche at a relatively young age. Speaking on , Littler insisted he would only be playing for as long as he stayed motivated to succeed.
“I won’t be playing at 50,” he said. “I could wake up tomorrow, the fire’s gone out of my belly, and I wanna retire. So maybe I can’t achieve it.”
His comments follow what can only have been an emotionally draining start to 2025, with the star in tears . He had previously broken down after his first-round win over Ryan Meikle, where he hit a tournament record average of 140.91 in the final set.
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Littler has struggled for form since his World Championship win. (Image: Getty)
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But since that tournament, he has not won more than two matches at an event. And this week, Littler was below par in his 6-3 defeat to Joe Cullen in the last 32 of Players Championship 1 – an event he won last year.
He averaged just 87.81 in the clash after low-key wins over Martin Lukeman and Jim Long. The performances drew criticism from fans online, .
He referred to the social media trolls when he posted on Facebook: “Still earned a few quid today while these are sat at home charging their phones waiting for me to lose.”
Where to buy Luke Littler’s darts
Luke Littler is heading to the latter stages of the WDC, and you can emulate the 17-year-old with a set of his Target G1 Swiss Point darts for £99.95. You can also upgrade to the gold Prodigy darts for £129.95.
There is also a more affordable Loadout 90% Tungsten darts for £45.90. If you need something to throw them at, Amazon has reduced the Luke Littler Cabinet & Dartboard Set to £59.99.
The scrutiny around Littler has increased since his incredible Ally Pally debut in December 2023. Indeed, this month, after him for a one-night tribute when they open their Super League campaign.
The venue will be called the Luke Littler Stadium when they play Catalan Dragons on Friday, February 21. It will revert back to the Halliwell Jones Stadium immediately afterwards.