“I’m on the cruise and the people who recognised me, all they could talk about was Luke Littler" - Even in the Caribbean Peter Manley couldn't escape the World Championship hype

Peter Manley, a three-time World Championship finalist and current president of the PDPA (Professional Darts Players Association), was on a cruise to the Caribbean during the recent Worlds. Even there, he couldn't escape the hype surrounding Luke Littler.

“Every year, the World Championship produces something special. Unfortunately and regrettably, I booked a Caribbean cruise 18 months ago," Manley told the Daily Star. “I’m on the cruise and the people who recognised me, all they could talk about was Luke Littler. Obviously, Fallon Sherrock was a big thing. But this has blown everything out of the water, seeing a 16-year-old kid on the front of every newspaper through darts."

Manley, who had something of a love-hate relationship with supporters during his career, can hardly believe how popular Littler has become in a short period. "Hasn’t he got a million followers on Instagram now? I thought I was good with 30-odd thousand! But a million, it’s unbelievable.”

“I’m hoping the lad has a fantastic future because it’s great for the game,” continues Manley. “Listening to him, he’s got a good brain on him. He didn’t really say anything out of place which you could expect him to do at that age. He’s very mature and a good loser."

Manley, like many in the darting world, had been aware of Littler's talents for some time. “What he did wasn’t totally unexpected. A lot of people had seen what he’d done as a youth player and he’d won WDF events against grown men. So he’d already had a bit of stage experience. It was just a case of how he handled the crowd, and he passed with flying colours. He’s just a class act.”

Littler is already sometimes compared to Phil Taylor, can he dominate the sport as much as 'The Power' did? “Taylor was on a different level which the rest of us could rarely reach," recalls Manley, having experienced the 16-time world champion at the peak of his powers.

"Then along came Michael van Gerwen and a number of players who could reach Taylor’s level and he started to lose a few," concludes Manley. “Now we’ve got Luke who can hit 100-plus averages at his age, and he’s doing it so naturally. The kid’s marvellous, the counting, the board management, there isn’t anything you can say. You’re just in awe of him.”