Luke Littler Addresses Michael van Gerwen’s Punctuality Criticism
After Michael van Gerwen recently called out Luke Littler for his frequent tardiness, the teenage darts sensation has admitted he has a timekeeping issue—one that even his fellow players have noticed.
Since making waves in the darts world, Littler has developed a reputation not just for his immense talent but also for his laid-back approach. While James Wade has previously criticized his lack of practice, Van Gerwen has taken issue with ‘The Nuke’ often arriving late to events.
Earlier in February, Littler missed his scheduled Premier League media duties, prompting a pointed yet lighthearted remark from ‘The Green Machine.’ When asked about his young rival’s tardiness before the Premier League’s opening night in Belfast, Van Gerwen didn’t hold back.
“45 minutes late, you mean,” the Dutchman corrected when reporters mentioned Littler’s 25-minute delay. “They need to stop treating him as a baby, yeah? He’s not a baby anymore. He’s 18 years old now. It happens. He has to learn, but he needs to learn the hard way.
“It’s a professional sport, so you have to be responsible for your actions as well, simple as that. If he turns up late for an interview, I don’t really mind, but now seven other people are waiting for him. That’s not really nice, is it?”
Rather than dismissing the criticism, Littler embraced it with humor. In a video posted to the Sky Sports Darts YouTube channel, he was asked who the least punctual player on the PDC Tour was. Without hesitation, he laughed and admitted, “Person that’s always late? Me.”
His peers agreed. When asked the same question, Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall were quick to name Littler, reinforcing his reputation for tardiness.
Despite the pre-tournament drama, Littler and Van Gerwen put on a thrilling show on the Premier League’s opening night. The Dutchman edged out a 6-5 victory in their quarter-final clash, with both players averaging over 105—Littler even posting a remarkable 113.91 average.
The following week in Glasgow, Littler got his revenge. After mounting an incredible comeback from 5-1 down against Rob Cross, he faced Van Gerwen once again—this time winning 6-2 before going on to defeat Luke Humphries 6-5 and claim the night’s victory.
Littler may still be working on his punctuality, but when it comes to delivering on the oche, he’s always right on time.
