“Get some earplugs!” – Phil Taylor warns Littler about a cauldron in Rotterdam

Phil Taylor has no doubt that Luke Littler is mentally tough enough to handle hostile crowd reactions, but he expects a rough night for the young world champion on Thursday evening in Rotterdam. The 16-time world champion believes Littler should brace himself for a raucous reception at Ahoy.

According to Taylor, that comes with elite sport, especially after the commotion around Littler in the Premier League Darts earlier this month. The Englishman made negative headlines after his behavior during the defeat to Gian van Veen in Manchester. The incident went viral on social media and appears to have turned public opinion against him.

Taylor does not expect Littler to be rattled by it. “I think Luke’s tough enough to ride it out,” Taylor told The Sun. “The only way with fans is you’ve got to perform on stage.”

The darts legend even thinks Littler might use the situation as extra motivation. “If he performs like he can, he’ll get them back. This week, he’s in Rotterdam. Maybe he’ll go over there, play the first match and think ‘sod it, I’ll qualify anyway (for the finals)’. Because that might be his plan. He might think: ‘Well I’ll just go there, I’ll play, get beat, come home and I’ll qualify anyway.’ Because he has got the ability.”

After Rotterdam, a run of charged nights awaits Littler. The Englishman then plays in Liverpool, where his support for Manchester United will likely earn him little sympathy. The Premier League roadshow then moves on to Aberdeen.

Taylor expects a feisty reception everywhere. “Next week, he’s got Liverpool. Obviously he’s a Man Utd fan, so he’s got to have a little bit of stick there. And then after that, he goes to Scotland. So, he’s going to get it up there as well. He’s going to get it – so get some earplugs!"

Beyond the reactions in the arena, Taylor also sees social media as a pitfall for the 19-year-old Englishman. Littler recently responded online to criticism after his defeat and posted an overview of his titles.

Taylor would handle it differently. “I don’t really do social media. It gets done for me. But if I was to advise Luke I’d say keep off social media. Don’t put anything on. Don’t do it. Don’t rise to it. Leave it alone.”

The former world number one speaks from experience. He too faced hostile crowds for years and often had to deal with boos and intimidation.

“The hardest one I had was when I had double vision, when I played Eric Bristow in the PDC World Championship semi-finals at Purfleet,” Taylor says. “My heart was pounding that fast. I don’t know how many people were there, say 900 people. I had 899 booing me. One person cheering me on, who daren’t say anything. It’s just part and parcel. In Wales, you get it. In Scotland, you get it."

Asked if he ever felt intimidated, Taylor doesn’t hesitate. “Did I ever feel intimidated? Thousands of times, yeah. But you have to just ride through it. You’ve got no choice. You’re up there to make a living.”

He believes there are two possible reactions. “Sometimes you’re ready to jump off the stage and have a go at somebody. Or you think, I’m going to give it to your mate now, so you can shove it. Let’s see how good he is.”

Taylor neatly sums up the mental strain of the pro circuit. “The stage can be the best place in the world and also it can be the loneliest, cruellest place in the world.”

With those words, the greatest darts player of all time sets out what awaits Littler in the coming weeks. The next chapter begins Thursday in Rotterdam. The quarterfinal brings an immediate clash with Gerwyn Price, in a cauldron-like Ahoy.