3 years old i used to imitate @Raybar180 when he won the @OfficialPDC World Championship in 2007 🎯 13 years later i get to play the legend himself in the last 16 on the biggest stage of them all #TheNukesBarneyArmy ☢️🐯 @Garryplummer @TargetDarts @Prestige_PBS @SkodaWarri33910
"I've looked up to Barney since I was 18 months in a nappy" - Luke Littler set for World Championship showdown with his hero on Saturday night
PDCSaturday, 30 December 2023 at 13:00
One of the standout ties of the World Darts Championship to date takes place on Saturday night as Raymond van Barneveld and Luke Littler will meet in the fourth round with a quarterfinal spot on the line.
Littler is already looking forward to it eagerly. "It'll be unbelievable. I've looked up to Barney since I was 18 months in a nappy. The PDC put a video up of me practicing, doing his celebration," says the 16-year-old in conversation with Sky Sports News.
So young is Littler, he wasn't even born when van Barneveld claimed the fifth of World Championship titles against Phil Taylor at the Circus Tavern in 2007, in what is widely regarded as the greatest game of all time.
"I spoke to him in the hotel. Him and Michael van Gerwen have been saying keep it up, keep your head focused and that's all I can do, keep level headed."
Arguably the only thing that could bring more hype to Littler's World Championship run would be a nine-darter. "I actually hit one in practice before my game with Christian Kist against my manager," he laughs. "So the nine-darter is lurking about in practice, I just have to take it on to the stage."
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