"In the past, he would’ve ended up in a row over that, trying to humiliate someone like that" - Littler plays with opponents, according to Van der Voort

Former professional darts star Vincent van der Voort believes Luke Littler is displaying a level of dominance reminiscent of the very best years of Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen. While many observers felt the sport might never again witness a player of such calibre, Van der Voort now considers that idea outdated.

Speaking on the Darts Draait Door podcast, Van der Voort expressed his amazement at Littler’s fearlessness and creativity. He highlighted, among other moments, Littler’s extraordinary decision-making against Ricardo Pietreczko at the Players Championship Finals, where the teenager took out 121 via bullseye–treble 7–bullseye. “Bizarrely beautiful, wasn’t it?” Van der Voort said.

According to the Dutchman — who spent more than two decades at the top level and witnessed first-hand the hegemony of both Taylor and Van Gerwen — such audacious behaviour would once have triggered conflict.

“In the past, he would’ve ended up in a row over that, trying to humiliate someone like that,” he recalled. “But nowadays things are a bit more relaxed. We thought that after the Taylor and Van Gerwen eras nobody could dominate like that again. We simply couldn’t imagine it. But here we are — we’ve got someone. Littler is a problem for everyone.”

Van der Voort suspects Littler executed the flashy finish with Pietreczko deliberately in mind, given their previous tension. “That was definitely intentional. He certainly hasn’t become more cautious after last time.”

What impresses Van der Voort most is not only Littler’s scoring power, but the effortless way he controls matches and opponents. “He toys with his opponents and with the game itself. He just does whatever comes into his head, and he gets away with it too. You see it in his opponents — they just can’t apply real pressure. Nobody has the answer. He’s giving everyone homework for the coming weeks. Right now, Luke Humphries looks like the only one who might be able to beat him over a longer format.”

Asked how he would have reacted had Littler humiliated him in the same fashion a decade ago, Van der Voort was candid. “I would’ve thought: beep beep. But then again, it’s pretty clever when it comes off.”