“I’m not scared of Luke Littler” – Raymond van Barneveld claims world champion still has a lot to learn

Raymond van Barneveld insists he has nothing to fear when he takes on Luke Littler in the opening round of the 2025 European Championship in Dortmund — and says he's "not scared" of the teenage world champion, despite his rapid rise to the top of the sport.

The five-time world champion will face the 18-year-old sensation on Friday evening, a clash that brings together two darting eras: one man who built the sport’s modern legacy, and another who’s redefining it before most players his age have left college.

Van Barneveld, now 58, was typically honest about his form and physical struggles, admitting that time and health have changed the way he approaches the game — but not his appetite for competition.

“I’m 58 years old playing against an 18-year-old that’s full of energy and I’m like an old dog,” he told Sky Sports. “Like a younger dog, they want to play, they’re exciting. But an older dog is like, ‘guys, leave me alone’. That’s a bit harder at the moment.”

The Dutchman, who continues to manage diabetes and a reduced playing schedule, said focus and consistency are harder to maintain these days — though he’s not ruling out a big result.

“I don’t have the 100 per cent focus I used to have for all these years because you grow older. Your muscles are different, we spoke about my diabetes, that’s still not right. I just play the board and hopefully I can play a good game — there’s always a chance you can beat them.”

Van Barneveld has no illusions about the size of the challenge that awaits him. Littler is not only world champion but could also end the weekend as world number one.

“If I can beat the current world champion, the world No 2, that would be a massive result,” Van Barneveld said. “But I have to be realistic. For the last two years, all the majors I go out in the first round. So I’m not going to say that I will survive this.”

Despite that dose of realism, he isn’t giving up on the idea of one last deep run. “Maybe in the future, who can say? The World Championship can be anyone’s tournament and I’m already in my head to have a good result there.”

For Littler, Friday’s meeting is another test of how he handles the weight of expectation. He’s previously called Van Barneveld a “legend” — which is true enough, considering the Dutchman’s five world titles came before Littler was even born — but admiration counts for nothing on stage.

Van Barneveld, meanwhile, couldn’t resist offering a little advice for the youngster after Littler suggested earlier this year that he didn’t enjoy playing in Germany, where crowds haven’t always been kind to him.

“I don’t think it’s clever to say you don’t like to play here or there,” he said. “But he’s young and we all know this. And you have to learn.”

Whether he wins or not, Van Barneveld’s appearance in Dortmund feels like a symbolic moment for darts — a reminder that even as the game evolves around Littler’s stardom, the legends who built the sport’s foundation are still capable of stealing a night.

And while the Dutchman accepts his best years are behind him, his words before taking on the world champion leave little doubt: there’s still fight in the old dog yet.