‘Do your research!’ – Darts champion fumes at Gary Neville’s ‘disrespectful’ antics towards Luke Littler
Gary Neville has landed in hot water after a recent interview with darts sensation Luke Littler on his podcast Stick to Football—and former world champion Colin Lloyd isn’t holding back.
Littler, the 18-year-old darts prodigy, appeared on the show following his historic rise in the sport. Already the youngest world champion in history, he recently added a UK Open title to his resume, marking his fifth major victory in an already glittering young career.
But during the interview, Neville quizzed Littler on his mental maths skills—prompting immediate backlash from Lloyd, who felt the line of questioning disrespected the sport.
“I actually thought that was a disrespectful question,” said Lloyd on talkSPORT.
“Of course we know our numbers—we’re professional darts players. That’s our job!”
The Exchange That Sparked the Controversy
Neville asked Littler: “If I give you three random numbers, could you give me finishes straight away?” to which co-host Ian Wright responded with a sigh of disbelief. Wright later attempted to make light of things with a joke about a 143 checkout, but misfired himself by offering an incorrect combination.
Lloyd wasn’t impressed. Drawing a football analogy, he said:
“It’s like asking Gary Neville if he could clear a ball off the line. Of course he could—he’s a defender! So why ask a pro darts player about basic arithmetic?”
He also criticized the hosts for not doing their homework before interviewing Littler.
“How unprofessional did they make themselves look? How much are they disrespecting the sport of darts by not doing their research?”
Littler Stays Unfazed
Despite the awkward exchange, Littler remained composed and cheerful during the segment. But Lloyd’s remarks reflect a growing frustration within the darts community about how the sport is often underestimated or misrepresented in mainstream media.
Ironically, this criticism came just days after former pro Vincent van der Voort expressed concern that Littler’s PDC rivals were too respectful toward him. He claimed players like Nathan Aspinall and Stephen Bunting were acting like “fanboys” instead of competitors.
Littler, for his part, revealed that mind games do exist in darts—particularly from Michael van Gerwen, who often tries to rattle him before matches during their pre-match bullseye contests.
“Every time we throw for bull before a match, he’ll try to get in my head. But I always hit it first!” Littler laughed.
What’s Next for The Nuke?
Littler recently fell to Chris Dobey 6–2 in the quarterfinals of Night Nine of the Premier League but continues to shine in a sport where his rapid rise shows no sign of slowing.
