“If the boos come, I’d keep off social media" – Phil Taylor has a clear message for Luke Littler after recent criticism

Phil Taylor has urged Luke Littler to step away from social media and focus entirely on his darts, as the young sensation is increasingly facing critical reactions from the crowd. The 16-time world champion believes the talented Warrington player especially needs to make a mental leap, particularly now that the audience has been so vocal in recent weeks.

The current world number one came under fire recently after his war of words with Gian van Veen during Night Nine of the Premier League Darts in Manchester. A week later, ‘The Nuke’ was booed again in Brighton. There he lost 6-4 to Stephen Bunting and posted an 83.94, the lowest TV average of his career.

Even so, Littler remains firmly in the Premier League mix. He sits second, five points behind leader Jonny Clayton, who beat him in Rotterdam and became the first player this season to win four nightly titles.

Taylor doesn’t mince words and delivers a clear message to the young Englishman. “The booing comes with the territory; he has to learn that — he’s still young,” Taylor said on the Double Tops podcast. “Luke is absolutely not a bad guy. A little dip only makes the sport more compelling. I like him and I understand what he’s going through.”

His key advice? Focus less on what’s being said on social media and more on the darts itself. “If the boos come, I’d keep off social media. That’s the first thing.”

Taylor stresses that he is active himself, but leaves the management to others: “Pete Williams told me: whatever you do in life, don’t have an opinion on social media. Don’t say, 'I think Luke Littler was great that night,' or anything like that. Just say, 'He played really well.' Because if you post something like, “Wayne played well last night,” some people will think you’re being sarcastic. You can’t win."

Beyond the mental side, Taylor also questions Littler’s training discipline — though he remains in awe of his raw ability. “Practise a bit more. He literally does not practise."

The darts legend cites a recent exhibition: “We did an exhibition together—I was there as a guest—and Luke sat on his phone for about two and a half hours at Chester Aces. He was playing Luke Humphries, who was practising like mad. I said, 'Are you going to practise then, Luke?' He said, 'No.'"

What followed defied logic: “Then he goes up and beats him 8–1. I was like—how? That’s impossible. But he did.” Taylor himself followed a completely different approach. “People say I practised eight hours a day. I didn’t practise eight hours straight, but I did practise during the day for eight hours—20 minutes, break, 20 minutes, break, and so on.”

Still, Taylor warns that talent won’t be enough in the long run if Littler can’t get the mental side under control. “It all depends on Luke, really. I mean, with all the booing and everything, I don’t know how he’s going to take it. Whether he’s mentally strong enough to keep it going, like Gerwyn Price has done.”

According to Taylor, the pressure is already having an effect. “Because it seems to be getting at him a little bit. And he isn't playing as well.” The solution, he says, is simple: “Everybody wants to watch a good game, and everybody wants to watch someone brilliant. So as soon as he starts doing that and getting back to his best, he will turn the crowd around."

Taylor knows better than anyone how heavy a hostile crowd can weigh. He recalls a moment from his own career against Eric Bristow at the Circus Tavern: “The heart was going. It does get to you then. I got double vision at one part.,” he concluded.