Luke Littler has mastered Phil Taylor tactic as he bids to continue perfect year at World Matchplay, says ex-darts star

Luke Littler urged to emulate Phil Taylor as he targets historic darts clean sweep

Luke Littler has been tipped to follow the proven formula that helped Phil Taylor dominate the sport as the teenage sensation continues his pursuit of one of the greatest seasons in darts history.

The world No.1 has already enjoyed a remarkable campaign, claiming the World Championship, Masters, UK Open, Premier League and World Cup titles in 2026.

Now, the 19-year-old is aiming to complete an unprecedented clean sweep of the sport’s biggest major titles. To achieve that, Littler must successfully defend his World Matchplay crown in Blackpool before retaining the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals. The only major missing from his collection is the European Championship, which he has yet to win.

Despite his incredible form on the big stage, Littler has opted to skip all 24 Players Championship events held so far this season, leaving him with only ten tournaments remaining to secure qualification for the Players Championship Finals in Minehead.

His selective schedule has drawn comparisons with 16-time world champion Phil Taylor, who reduced his Players Championship appearances late in his career. Taylor entered just three events in 2016 before sitting out the entire series the following year, instead focusing his efforts on television majors.

Former professional Paul Nicholson believes Littler is adopting a similar strategy.

Speaking on the Love the Darts Podcast, Nicholson said Littler appears to be timing his season perfectly, prioritising the biggest tournaments over the demanding ProTour circuit.

He suggested the teenager has embraced the same philosophy that made Taylor so successful, conserving energy while ensuring he peaks when the major titles are on the line.

Nicholson also pointed out that Littler’s position at the top of the PDC rankings is likely to strengthen even further. Because the defending Matchplay champion is only replacing modest ranking money earned two years ago, while rivals such as Luke Humphries are defending significant prize money from previous victories, Littler is expected to extend his advantage unless he suffers an early exit.

Sky Sports pundit Michael Bridge echoed those sentiments, noting that Littler has kept a relatively light playing schedule after travelling to the United States for World Series events and promotional commitments.

Bridge said questions remain over whether the teenager will enter any Players Championship events before Minehead, but believes that could change if Littler successfully defends his World Matchplay title.

According to Bridge, Littler’s relentless competitive nature means that if he remains on course for a clean sweep of every major title, the temptation to qualify for Minehead and complete the full collection could become impossible to ignore.

He also acknowledged the difficulty of the ProTour, where even the world’s best players can be eliminated in the opening round, but insisted there is still enough time for Littler to secure qualification if he decides to compete.

Littler returns to competitive action on Saturday at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, where he opens his World Matchplay title defence against Germany’s Niko Springer.

However, not everyone believes the teenager will continue his remarkable run.

Former Premier League champion and Sky Sports analyst Glen Durrant has backed Luke Humphries to halt Littler’s bid for a historic clean sweep.

Durrant admitted his prediction is based more on instinct than statistics, but believes Humphries is showing the form needed to emerge victorious at this year’s World Matchplay.