𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Luke Littler feels hours of dedication on the practice board proved key to his World Matchplay success and completing the PDC Triple Crown as he targets maintaining his top form through the rest of the year.

Littler, 18, claimed a hard-fought victory over veteran James Wade at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, becoming only the fifth player to lift the coveted title alongside the World Championship and Premier League.

Next up on the PDC schedule is a trip Down Under for the back-to-back Australia and New Zealand Darts Masters in August, before attention turns towards the end-of-year run-in.

“What I have achieved so far is unbelievable for myself,” Littler told the PA news agency.

“I didn’t expect it to go my way, but it is just all down to me practising and playing really good darts.

“The Matchplay win was just so good. I practised quite a lot leading up to it, the most I had done in some time – and it certainly paid off as I completed the Triple Crown.”

Littler knows every success then raises the level of expectation on his young shoulders.

“If you come into a tournament and you are the champion, I think people can expect you to try and defend it, because you have been there before and you have won it before, but that is not always the case,” the world number two said.

“Even this year with the Premier League, it was not easy trying to defend it – and on the night (of the final) Luke Humphries played his best darts and won it.

“But leading up to the Grand Slam (of Darts, in November), I want to defend that and also try to pick up some more titles along the way.”

Littler added: “Ever since my first World Championships, where I was runner-up and started on the (PDC) Tour, I think everyone just wanted to beat me.

“It is still the same now because these players want to be the best and have always wanted to beat me, but most of the time I do come out victorious.”

The 18-year-old’s achievements have transcended the sport – helping darts reach to a new audience and a younger generation.

“For what I have done, it has definitely spurred a lot of people on to get into their darts,” Littler said.

“But for myself, I have got to keep winning, keep picking up trophies and get even more people involved.”

Littler has teamed up with KP Snacks ‘Nuts for Darts’ campaign, which will see one pub win an appearance from the world champion.

“There are so many pub leagues that I played in when I was younger, this is where game of darts has come from,” he said.

“That is where I started and where most of these big top players started is in pubs, so this is about giving those pubs an opportunity for an appearance from me.”

:: KP Nuts are giving one lucky pub the chance to win an appearance from Luke Littler as part of the ‘Nuts for Darts’ campaign. Rally your landlord to pick up a promotional pub card to enter from August 11.