"You can provoke the crowd, but you have to be able to take it when it comes back": Vincent van der Voort slates Luke Littler's Liverpool behaviour

Luke Littler has found himself under intense scrutiny once again following his controversial behavior after a dramatic loss to Michael van Gerwen on Premier League night in Liverpool. Away from the TV cameras, the teenage sensation and reigning world champion lashed out at the crowd in frustration—an outburst that has raised eyebrows across the darts community, including from former pro Vincent van der Voort.

Clips circulating on social media show Littler reacting angrily to a spectator after his narrow 6-5 defeat. His gestures—including a raised middle finger and a defiant arm movement—made his displeasure unmistakably clear. The response was uncharacteristic for the usually composed 18-year-old, according to Van der Voort.

"Sure, you can provoke the crowd, but you have to be able to take it when it comes back at you," Van der Voort commented on the Darts Draait Door podcast. He noted that this wasn’t the first time Littler has courted attention from the crowd, especially in connection to his well-known support for Manchester United—a stance that doesn’t sit well with many in Liverpool.

Littler had looked in control during the match, racing to a 4-0 lead. But the Liverpool crowd began to make their presence felt, and Van Gerwen capitalised on the shifting momentum to mount a stunning comeback. Littler, visibly agitated, erupted beside the stage once the match concluded.

“He’s still young and needs to learn how to deal with this,” Van der Voort continued. “You don’t need to provoke or respond to the crowd. I’ve never seen him like that before—he usually comes across as so calm, like nothing fazes him. This was a completely different side.”

Presenter Damian Vlottes chimed in with a cheeky analogy: “It’s a bit like Gordon, isn’t it? Loves dishing it out but can’t take it. Am I really comparing Luke Littler to Gordon? But it fits, doesn’t it?” Van der Voort laughed: “With Gordon it fits, and in this case, it does with Littler too.”

Van der Voort concluded by highlighting how such reactions can backfire. “For the guy in the crowd, this was probably the highlight of his night. Imagine you’re a Liverpool fan and you managed to get under Littler’s skin. He was up 4-0 and still lost 6-5. That’s a dream scenario for them.”