‘There are so many in the making’ – Nathan Aspinall reveals there’s an army of Luke Littlers ready to take over darts
**Nathan Aspinall Predicts an Army of Luke Littlers Set to Dominate Darts**
Nathan Aspinall, a two-time major darts champion, declared that “there are so many more Luke Littlers in the making,” signaling a wave of young talent poised to transform the sport, per The Irish Sun. His comments, made in the wake of Luke Littler’s meteoric rise, highlight the impact of darts academies and the sport’s booming popularity, resonating with the resilience of athletes like Jasmine Paolini and Caroline Wozniacki.
**Aspinall’s Prediction**
Aspinall, speaking to The Irish Sun, credited Littler’s success for inspiring a new generation, stating, “There are so many more Luke Littlers in the making at the moment,” per The Irish Sun. He noted that darts has surged in popularity, with “footballers and actors” obsessing over the oche, as seen at James Maddison’s golf day attended by John Terry and Michael McIntyre, per The Irish Sun. Aspinall, who runs a darts academy in the North West, emphasized that future stars are being groomed in academies rather than emerging from manual trades like past champions Phil Taylor (ceramic factory) or Gary Anderson (grate builder), per The Irish Sun. He warned top players to “make my money and get out” before this next wave, per Yardbarker.[](https://www.thesun.ie/sport/15296474/nathan-aspinall-luke-littler-darts-maddison/)[](https://www.thesun.ie/sport/15296474/nathan-aspinall-luke-littler-darts-maddison/)[](https://www.thesun.ie/sport/15296474/nathan-aspinall-luke-littler-darts-maddison/)
**Littler’s Influence and Academy Impact**
Littler, the 18-year-old world champion, has redefined darts since his 2023 World Championship final run at 16, winning 11 titles in 2024-2025, including the PDC World Championship (7-3 over Michael van Gerwen) and Premier League, earning £1.5 million, per SkySports.com, TheGuardian.com. His four nine-darters, including one against Aspinall in Bahrain, and a record 45-point Premier League season have inspired a 1900% surge in UK dartboard sales, per SPORTbible.com. Aspinall, who lost 5-2 to Littler in the 2025 World Championship quarter-finals, marveled at Littler’s practice sessions, saying, “It’s like playing level 12 on the computer,” per Metro.co.uk. The Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) and PDC Development Tour, where Littler won five titles, are nurturing talents like Gian van Veen, per Target-Darts.co.uk, Wikipedia.org.[](https://www.sportbible.com/darts/nathan-aspinall-luke-littler-darts-world-championship-421783-20250101)[](https://metro.co.uk/2024/02/01/nathan-aspinall-reveals-details-ridiculous-luke-littler-practice-sessions-20205283/)
**Aspinall’s Relationship with Littler**
Aspinall, Littler’s practice partner and management stablemate, sees himself as an “older brother” to the teen, noting Littler’s lack of tour friends due to jealousy, per Metro.co.uk. He recalled confronting Littler’s father, Anthony, at 12 for being overly critical after a 4-3 loss, saying, “Mate, he’s 12,” but credited this tough-love approach for shaping Littler’s brilliance, per Manchester Evening News. Aspinall’s own battles, including dartitis and a pint thrown at him in Brighton, fuel his urgency to succeed before the next generation arrives, per DailyMail.co.uk.[](https://metro.co.uk/2025/01/01/nathan-aspinall-claims-luke-littler-hasnt-got-many-mates-tour-22276442/)[](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/other-sport/confronted-luke-littlers-dad-over-30719073)[](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/darts/article-14472575/Luke-Littler-reveals-pint-thrown-Nathan-Aspinall-Premier-League-Darts-final-star-labels-incident-crazy.html)
**Parallels to Resilience**
Aspinall’s prediction mirrors Paolini’s calm defusal of a French Open fan fight, both showing poise under pressure, per SI.com. Wozniacki’s advice to Raducanu to rebuild gradually and Pegula’s fight for scheduling equality reflect resilience, per Sportskeeda.com, Express.co.uk. Littler’s defiance, like his Leeds crowd taunts, echoes Holger Rune’s attitude, per GBNews.com, Express.co.uk.
**Conclusion**
Nathan Aspinall warned of an “army of Luke Littlers” emerging from darts academies, poised to dominate, per The Irish Sun. Littler’s 11 titles and £1.5 million at 18, fueled by JDC and Development Tour systems, have reshaped darts, per SkySports.com. Like Paolini’s poise, Wozniacki’s guidance, and Pegula’s advocacy, Aspinall’s foresight highlights a vibrant future. Littler and Humphries compete at the World Cup of Darts, June 12-15, live on Sky Sports.[](https://www.thesun.ie/sport/15296474/nathan-aspinall-luke-littler-darts-maddison/)
