England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney came to cheer on Luke Littler at Premier League Darts
PDC
Last Thursday, the night of Premier League Darts was completed in Manchester. One noted guest in the crowd was England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, who came to cheer Luke Littler.
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The 39-year-old Rooney, who took up coaching after his career but is currently without a club, was spotted in the crowd at the AO Arena in Manchester to watch the action in Premier League Darts. It is no surprise that the former Derby and Plymouth coach enjoyed the event, as he and his family love darts. Rooney previously made a career as a player with Everton and Manchester United, and let the latter club be Littler's favorite club.
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Littler even signed autographs for Rooney's children after his wife Colleen took the boys to the PDC World Championship final in early January. It will also have been a special moment for Littler, who has been a Manchester United fan all his life.
Luke Littler lost in the semifinals to Luke Humphries on the tenth day of play of the Premier League Darts
Aspinall
Even Littler's opponents knew Rooney was going to be present to catch a glimpse of the youngest ever world darts champion. Nathan Aspinall said, "I believe Wayne is going to be here. One of the drivers told me he was coming down. I don’t think he is coming to watch me.
“That is the thing with darts at the moment, it’s attracting so many big names to come and watch us play. I think they appreciate the talent and the pressure that we are under night after night.
Littler, incidentally, failed to win the night in Manchester in front of his idol. The Nuke defeated Gerwyn Price 6-3 in the quarterfinals, but then went down 6-4 in the semifinals against world number one Luke Humphries. Littler does, however, remain a distinguished leader in the Premier League Darts standings, he now counts five points more than his next chaser Humphries.
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A one-time teenage sensation here to watch another in Manchester...
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) April 10, 2025
Wayne Rooney loving the action at the AO Arena this evening 🙌 pic.twitter.com/dPk2cAN1mT

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- Everyone knows what a fantastic champion Taylor was,but his performances in the seniors were poor. He wouldn't throw littler off stage,as he'd miss these days!!rick6712-11-2026
- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026




