Phil Taylor warns: "Luke Littler has got to make players fear him to break my record"

Phil Taylor, 16-time world champion and undisputed darts icon, sees Luke Littler as the man most capable of threatening his extraordinary legacy. Yet Taylor adds a note of caution: if the teenage sensation is ever to match or even surpass his record, “The Power” insists it will take far more than raw talent. Littler, he argues, will need to build the kind of aura that strikes fear into opponents before they’ve even set foot on stage.

Littler’s rise has been meteoric. In December 2023, aged just 16, he stormed to the World Championship final at Alexandra Palace, falling only at the very last hurdle. A year later, he etched his name into the history books by beating Michael van Gerwen in the final to become the youngest world champion in darts history.

Since then, his momentum has been almost unstoppable. With more than £1.5 million in prize money already banked, he now sits second in the world rankings, just behind Luke Humphries – and all before even beginning his reign as defending world champion. The Warrington prodigy appears unshaken by the immense pressure that comes with his status.

Still, in conversation with snooker legend Stephen Hendry, Taylor warns that talent and early success are only part of the equation. “I think it depends on his work ethic really because it’s going to get harder. He’s going to get older and he’s going to have a family soon and things like that.”

Few know more than Taylor about what it takes to remain unchallenged at the summit. Between the early 1990s and 2013, he dominated darts with 16 world titles, countless other majors and a reputation unlike anything before or since.

Taylor continued: “You’ve got to have that name about you where they’re a bit frightened of you. People (are) frightened of you because you’re consistent, which seems to be intimidating people at the moment.”

That reputation – the fear before a single dart was thrown – was Taylor’s calling card. For many opponents, facing “The Power” felt like a lost cause before the first leg had even begun. If Littler can recreate that same aura, Taylor believes he could dominate for years to come.

“Young Luke, he’s very, very good and the thing is with him, he doesn’t care what people think or say,” Taylor said. “(He’s) very level headed and he’s not money orientated. I think it’s very important when you’re that age to have good people behind you. His mum and dad are lovely.”

That stable foundation may prove decisive. Many prodigies have been derailed by fast fame and financial temptations, but Littler looks firmly rooted.

The teenager has already delivered this year, winning both the World Matchplay and the UK Open. Later this season, he will defend his Grand Slam of Darts crown, with the World Grand Prix, European Championship and Players Championship Finals still to come.

Yet everything ultimately points to Alexandra Palace in December. “As the days are ticking by and the Worlds are shortly coming round, then it does start to get exciting. The first year was just new to me, I was just enjoying it. This year I’m also enjoying it. I’ve won a few titles.

“It’s the same old busy schedule. From about four weeks ago, up until the World’s, I’ve got two weekends off before my first game, so it’s very busy. It’s all preparation for the Worlds.

“Obviously I want to win the Worlds. All the players would look at the prize money but for myself, it’s just about going back-to-back.”

This year’s World Championship promises to be historic. The PDC has doubled the prize fund to £5 million, with a record £1 million awaiting the champion. If Littler triumphs, he would already have 17 PDC titles – including two world crowns – after just two years as a professional. His status as the sport’s next great ruler would be beyond question.

And yet, the question remains: can Littler ever equal or even eclipse Taylor’s 16 world titles? The legend himself is wary. “I don’t know,” admits Taylor. “He’s got a massive head start because he’s had success so young. I didn’t win my first world title until I was 29. But it all depends on how he develops and how he handles the challenges that will come.”

Taylor ended his own career in 2018, after a final World Championship appearance against Rob Cross. It was his 21st world final – a statistic that borders on the superhuman. Sustaining that standard for so long demands more than just talent.

For Littler, the path is wide open. He has the darts, the mindset and the support network. But whether he can, like Taylor, dominate the sport for a quarter of a century, only time will tell.