“Headlines surrounding Luke Littler aren’t going away anytime soon” – Dave Chisnall compares the 18-year-old’s impact to Phil Taylor’s

Dave Chisnall makes no secret of his admiration for Luke Littler. According to the current world number 22, it is downright “insane” what the young Englishman has sparked in modern darts.

Chisnall is gearing up for his return to the big stage at next week’s Winmau World Masters. The 45-year-old Englishman endured a disappointing World Championship, exiting in the second round to Ricardo Pietreczko. That doesn’t stop him from praising the so-called Littler effect.

“The hoopla and headlines surrounding Luke Littler aren’t going away anytime soon," says Chisnall. "And it’s still bananas what he has done to the modern game. I’m lucky to have been around 10-15 years prior when Phil (Taylor) took the game to another level and Luke is doing similar for the digital age."

According to “Chizzy,” Littler fits seamlessly with a new generation of players. “Being just a teenager himself, he seems in tune to a whole new generation of darts players, and the kids coming through have such an advantage with all the modern technology and playing online and the improvements in equipment."

“That’s not an ‘old man yells at cloud’ moment – just saying it’s obviously easier to get into the sport and stay in it if you’ve got some good kit to play with.”

After an average 2025, Chisnall hopes to turn things around at the first major of the year in Milton Keynes. He has also made a fresh start off the oche.

“There’s two weeks until The Masters in Milton Keynes but the Premier League players are out on their travels in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on back-to-back weeks," he says. “As much as I’d like to be out there chucking with the best in the world, I’d much rather stick to Morecambe and doing some exhibitions."

Chisnall is also trying to change things physically. “Normally, I aren’t one for New Year’s Resolutions but I’m trying to be a bit healthier and look after my diet better and I’m stuck to it thus far. Touchwood! The snatch could do with some work, but I think that’s not changing anytime soon, so hopefully it behaves this season."

Finally, he is already looking ahead to February. “I’m already eyeing up the Players Championship dates in February – two in Leicester, two in Wigan and Hildesheim. In an ideal world I’ll be winning one of those home. Fingers crossed for a change of fortune in 2026.”