"I don't really look at what Michael did when he was 16/17" - Luke Littler quietens talk of Van Gerwen comparisons

Luke Littler easily qualified for the quarterfinals of the Dutch Darts Masters on Friday night. In the opening round, he had no trouble with Dirk van Duijvenbode, winning 6-2.

Littler won the Bahrain Darts Masters last week. When asked what it meant to be introduced as a TV tournament winner, "It meant the world to me," Littler replied. "I've seen loads of people before Bahrain saying I'm once in a million and then I went and won it so I proved some wrong."

Littler, however, it doing his best to not get too far ahead of himself just yet. "It's happened in a short space of time. I didn't think to myself that I would get to the World Darts Championship final and win my first World Series, but I just take as it comes."

The 17-year-old Englishman has also grown into an extremely popular player in a short time. "They were booing me tonight though," he laughs. "Well I was playing a Dutch player on his home turf so I kind of need to get used to it."

Littler won the final in Bahrain against Michael van Gerwen with many looking to compare the two in the days since. "I don't really look at what Michael did when he was 16/17 but I know I've I done a lot. I've played at the PDC Worlds played at WDF Worlds, got to the fourth round at the UK Open, numerous other Youth and WDF titles and then Development Tour titles. So I just don't really look at it. I know what I've done and it's a new year this year."