Gary Neville accused of ‘disrespecting’ Luke Littler as former darts star fumes – ‘Unprofessional’

Gary Neville has come under fire for being “disrespectful” during a recent episode of the Stick to Football podcast, where darts prodigy Luke Littler was a guest.

Littler, who rocketed to stardom after winning the World Darts Championship in January, joined football legends Neville, Roy Keane, Jill Scott, Jamie Carragher, and Ian Wright to discuss his rapid rise. However, a moment during the show has sparked backlash.

Neville, attempting to challenge Littler’s quick mental arithmetic—a core skill in darts—asked:

“If I give you three random numbers, could you give me finishes straight away?”

The question prompted an audible sigh from Ian Wright, while viewers and fellow athletes took issue with the tone.

“Disrespectful and Unprofessional”

Former professional darts player Colin Lloyd didn’t hold back in his response on talkSPORT:

“I actually thought that was a disrespectful question.
Our game is numbers—of course we’d know!
It’s like asking Gary: ‘If I kicked a ball towards the goal, could you clear it off the line?’ Of course, he could—he was a defender!”

Lloyd criticized the Stick to Football panel for not doing their homework and claimed the exchange undermined the professionalism of darts:

“It made them look unprofessional.
Was it Ian Wright who said: ‘He could call any number out against us, we wouldn’t know’? That tells you all you need to know.”

Littler Eyes Phil Taylor’s Record

Despite the awkward moment, Littler handled the interaction with composure. The 18-year-old was also asked about chasing the legacy of darts legend Phil Taylor, who holds a record 16 World Championship titles.

“If I can stay in darts long enough, maybe I can beat that.
He was 52 when he won his 16th—if I want to, I will,” said Littler.

The teen phenom acknowledged the depth of today’s competition, suggesting Taylor himself might struggle in today’s era