“I don’t regret anything. I had my opinion, he’s got his opinion” – Luke Littler still hasn’t spoken to Gian van Veen after incident in Manchester

After a short but much-discussed dip in form, Luke Littler battled back convincingly to claim the Night 12 title at the Premier League Darts in Liverpool yesterday. In a roaring arena, where the crowd was far from on his side, the teenage sensation kept his cool.

“Yeah, it feels good,” Littler said matter-of-factly afterwards. “Just a good night overall. It’s just good to get a win here once again..”

The fact that Littler was back in the winning circle at all was anything but a given. Recent weeks were turbulent, both on and off the stage. The night in Rotterdam in particular, where he faced a hostile atmosphere, left its mark.

“Rotterdam was far worse than tonight,” he reflected. “If it gets worse than that, then something’s up. But like I said, Rotterdam was far worse than tonight. I even proved to people last week that I can win games under those circumstances, and I’ve done it again.”

That experience seems to have made him mentally tougher. Where others might crumble under the pressure of a hostile crowd, Littler appears to draw energy from it. It’s a trait you usually only see in seasoned elite players.

The final brought a showdown with Jonny Clayton, the number one on the Premier League table. For Littler, it was a chance to hit back at the Welshman. “After he beat me last week, it’s good to get that final win over him,” said the 19-year-old. “But yeah, I’m going to be chasing him now. I don’t really want to be—I want to be at the top cruising. But I want to be number one, so I’m going to go chasing.”

The rivalry between Clayton and Littler is taking shape. The Ferret had put together a small run of wins over the reigning world champion, and the young Englishman was desperate to break it. ously if people start getting the better of you, then going into the game they’ve got it in their head. When they go 2–0 up, they’ll think they’ve got me. But yeah, it was good to battle back.”

Littler laid the foundation for his nightly triumph in the semi-final against Michael van Gerwen. An exuberant release followed after that match. “Very important,” he admitted. “I don’t know what Michael was on, but I knew I had to let it go. A 43 and a 59 to start the leg wasn’t the best, but I battled back and got the win.”

The final against Clayton then carried extra weight in the battle for top spot in the Premier League. Littler was clear about that himself. “I’d say it was a must-win,” he stated. “Otherwise, he would have run away with it. Now I can close the gap a little bit, and there are still three or four weeks to play for.”

With a few nights still to go, the fight for first place is wide open again. And although Littler says he’d rather be comfortably out in front, he seems willing to accept the role of chaser. “If not, I’ll have to beat him in semis or finals. I want that top spot.”

A key theme around Littler in recent weeks has been the crowd’s reaction. He took plenty of stick in Rotterdam, and this evening the arena was anything but on his side again. “No anxiety,” he said. “Just expect the worst—but it wasn’t worse than Rotterdam.”

According to Littler, it now comes with the territory. He sees it as part of the sport, especially in England, where regional rivalry plays a role. It always is—it comes from the football side. It’s just a bit of banter.”

Remarkably, he seems to put such experiences behind him quickly. After a tough spell, he deliberately took a step back. “I moved on the day after—I went on holiday. So yeah, I’ve moved on and now we can look forward.”

That mental resilience also showed in his game. In earlier matches his average was sometimes lower than his opponent’s, yet he still found a way to win — a sign of maturity. "In the final I wasn’t happy not going back-to-back 180s—that’s where my game is," Littler said. "I want to be hitting them and pushing for nine-darters. It’s been a tough few weeks, but yeah, I’m getting back to my best."

That perfectionism defines his approach. Even after a winning night, he looks critically at his own game. “Looking at previous games over the last year or two, it’s not the best I know I can do. But a win’s a win, and I’ll take this one.”

The past weeks also saw plenty of talk about the incident with Gian van Veen. The two have had little contact since. “No, we’ve not spoken,” Littler admitted. “I’m not the type of person to go up and talk first.”

There’s no regret, however. “I don’t regret anything. I had my opinion, he’s got his opinion—we’re all entitled to it. I think we’ve both moved on on stage. Off stage, we haven’t spoken, but I’m sure we will.” According to Littler, the matter is closed for him now. He lets his darts do the talking on stage and wants to keep it that way. “If we have to settle it, we’ll do it on the board.”

Beyond darts, his private life also plays a major role in his performances. He calls his relationship with his girlfriend Faith “very important.” “That’s what you need as a darts player,” he explained. “When I’m at home, I switch off into family mode. She’s been massive for me, and we’ve got a very good relationship.”

As a representative of a new generation of players, Littler is also very active on social media. He sees both the advantages and the drawbacks. “I’m always on social media,” he admitted. “I see everything. But I’ve turned off message requests, so I don’t see those.”

Still, he downplays the impact of online criticism. “I just see things when I’m scrolling. It can help as well—things move fast, and after 24 or 48 hours, it’s forgotten.” That helps him focus on what really matters: his performances on stage.

Littler is also aware that he plays an important role in the sport’s growth. Since his breakthrough, the popularity of darts has increased worldwide. “It’s gone absolutely crazy,” he said. “I’ve been a big part of it, and it’s growing every day. With Target Darts, I’ve seen sales from other countries—America was up about 1,000%. That shows how big it’s getting.”

In his view, the sport’s future lies in even bigger arenas and a more international audience. “In the next few years, I think venues will get bigger, even Alexandra Palace. I’m sure there’ll be bigger venues for the majors.”

A striking detail: alongside darts, Littler has now also invested in a racehorse, together with, among others, Stephen Bunting. “Leading up to Cheltenham I got really into horse racing," he said.

The horse’s name — Bunting Mental — was chosen by Bunting this time, but Littler hopes to be able to pick a name himself in the future. “Hopefully if it does well, we’ll get another one with my name.”

With the weekly title in the bag and confidence restored, Littler is looking ahead to the remaining nights in the Premier League. His goal is clear: to seize top spot. “I want to finish first—that’s my main goal,” he stressed. “If my game is there, I can jump above Jonny.”

He also sees advantages in the longer format of the finals, where his resilience comes to the fore. “I love a longer format. Going back to the Matchplay, being 5–0 down and coming back—those situations suit me.”