"We look at Luke Littler and say how unstoppable he is, but have we potentially seen his kryptonite” – Matt Edgar sees problem all-conquering world champion

Former professional darter Matt Edgar believes whistling and jeering fans could be Luke Littler’s “Achilles’ heel.” Even so, he expects the 19-year-old phenomenon to qualify for the Premier League Darts play-offs in London.

Littler is enduring a somewhat sluggish start to his Premier League campaign. After four nights, he sits seventh, with just one win to his name. Last week in Belfast, he lost 6-3 to Jonny Clayton, in a match where sections of the crowd clearly turned against him. The whistling and booing appeared to visibly affect the young Englishman’s game.

Edgar sees that as an interesting point of focus. “I saw people jumping at this a little too early in regards to saying Luke does not look as motivated,” he says in conversation with OLBG. “However, it has to be a talking point that we are four weeks into it, and he has won one game. Look at the evidence with Luke Littler. He doesn’t go to Germany, and because of that, he won’t play on the European Tour. He hasn’t been successful in places where that has happened."

"We look at Luke Littler and go, how perfect and unstoppable he is," Edgar continues. “But have we potentially seen his bit of kryptonite here at this moment in his career — not able to deal with that interaction, potentially?"

Notably, Littler plays relatively little in Germany. He regularly opts to skip Euro Tour events there. Last year he entered only one German tournament: the German Darts Grand Prix, where he reached the semifinals. Even so, he has had less success on other German stages. For instance, at the European Championship in Dortmund he has never progressed beyond the second round.

He also encountered a hostile atmosphere at the PDC World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt. In the clash between England and Germany he was booed and whistled at, while the Germans got fully behind their own team. England went out, and Littler looked visibly irritated by the circumstances.

Still, Edgar has no doubt about the class of the ten-time major winner. “I don’t see a world where he is not in the top four. The story might be different in how we get there,” he states firmly. “We have already gone slightly different to how we expected it to go for him. Whatever road he goes down, I think all roads lead for him to the O2.”

On Thursday, Night Five of the Premier League Darts in Cardiff. In the quarterfinals, Littler faces Josh Rock.