**Nathan Aspinall Hails Luke Littler’s Impact Despite 2025 Premier League Loss**
Nathan Aspinall, world No. 9, praised Luke Littler’s transformative influence on darts, comparing him to Tiger Woods and predicting a “golden era” where players gain celebrity status akin to footballers and film stars, per Mirror.co.uk. Despite losing 10-5 to Luke Humphries in the 2025 Premier League semi-finals on May 29, Aspinall’s comments highlight Littler’s role in elevating the sport’s profile, mirroring the resilience of athletes like Jannik Sinner and Emma Raducanu.
**Aspinall’s Claim and Littler’s Impact**
Aspinall, beaten by Humphries at The O2 Arena, emphasized Littler’s draw, saying, “Everyone is obsessed with darts… We all know we owe a lot of it to Luke,” per Mirror.co.uk. He recounted meeting footballers and actors, like at James Maddison’s golf day, where darts dominated conversations, per Mirror.co.uk. Littler, despite an 11-8 final loss to Humphries, topped the league phase with a record 45 points and six nightly wins, per BBC.co.uk. His 2024-2025 season, with 11 titles including the World Championship and £1.5 million earned, has driven a 1900% surge in UK dartboard sales, per SkySports.com, SPORTbible.com. Aspinall insisted it’s not a “one-man show,” citing Humphries and others winning majors, but predicted Littler’s trajectory could outshine Michael van Gerwen’s dominance, per Mirror.co.uk.
**Premier League Context**
Aspinall secured the final play-off spot in Sheffield, defeating van Gerwen 6-2 to end the Dutchman’s play-off streak, per SkySports.com. In London, Humphries, leveraging Phil Taylor’s advice, dominated Aspinall with a 101.07 average to his 92.31, per DartsNews.com. Littler, who beat Gerwyn Price 10-6 in the semi-finals, fell to Humphries’ 97.86 average despite a 100.29, per BBC.co.uk. A PDC rule ensured Littler’s £125,000 runner-up prize didn’t narrow Humphries’ £573,000 Order of Merit lead, per Express.co.uk. Aspinall’s earlier 6-3 Aberdeen win over van Gerwen and 6-1 final over Chris Dobey showed his grit, per SkySports.com.
**Aspinall’s Resilience and Littler’s Role**
Aspinall, who overcame dartitis and online abuse over his Premier League inclusion, called Littler an “older brother” figure, noting his isolation due to peers’ jealousy, per Metro.co.uk, BBC.co.uk. He previously warned of “many more Luke Littlers” emerging from academies, per The Irish Sun. This resilience echoes Sinner’s focus amid his French Open snub and Raducanu’s recovery from injuries, per Sportskeeda.com, BBC.com. Paolini’s defusal of a French Open fan fight and Pegula’s scheduling advocacy reflect similar poise, per SI.com, Express.co.uk.
**Conclusion**
Nathan Aspinall lauded Luke Littler as darts’ “Tiger Woods,” crediting him for its celebrity surge despite his own 10-5 semi-final loss to Luke Humphries in the 2025 Premier League, per Mirror.co.uk. Littler’s 45-point season and £1.5 million earnings underscore his impact, per SkySports.com. Like Sinner’s grit, Raducanu’s rebuild, and Paolini’s composure, Aspinall’s praise reflects darts’ bright future. Littler and Humphries next compete at the World Cup of Darts, June 12-15, live on Sky Sports.
