"I remember seeing his dad with him and he was dead critical" - Nathan Aspinall recalls first meeting with 12-year-old Luke Littler

Long before Nathan Aspinall and Luke Littler were competing in the Premier League Darts together, the duo faced off against each other for the first time.

"The first time I came across Luke, I think it was in Chester in a tournament and I beat him 4-3. I think he was aged four! No, he was around 12 and wow, I just thought 'who is the kid?" Aspinall recalls in conversation with MEN’s Manchester is Red Podcast, remembering one thing in particular from the encounter. "I remember seeing his dad with him and he was dead critical of him because he'd lost. I was thinking mate, he's 12, and I was in the top 16 in the world at that time and I said 'give him a break'. His dad said 'no, he needs to learn' and that hard talk over the years has probably produced one of the best players in our sport. He's amazing and what else can you say?”

Read also

Van Gerwen gives insight into relationship with 'kebab-boy' Littler: ''I'm twice that boy's age''

Since then of course, Littler has burst into the wider sporting consciousness with his electric performancs, reaching the World Darts Championship final on debut and going from strength to strength since.

"We're all [darts players] sick of seeing his face on social media and that's a credit to him. It's not just the media who are obsessed with him, he's bringing them to him," Aspinall continues, tongue in cheek. "He had an amazing run at the Worlds, then hit a nine-darter against me in Bahrain, then he won a tournament, then he won the first Pro Tour and Euro Tour, so that's full credit to him.”

Read also

"Rotterdam is probably the worst out of the 16 venues" - Nathan Aspinall unhappy with conditions despite Night 12 win in Premier League