‘Hang your head in shame’ – Gary Lineker takes cheeky swipe at Luke Littler after beating star in darts challenge

LUKE LITTLER was denied another piece of silverware after suffering an unexpected defeat to Gary Lineker in a speed darts contest in New York.

The teenage sensation appeared on Netflix’s The Rest Is Football live show at Madison Square Garden shortly after finishing runner-up at the US Darts Masters.

Littler, 19, had narrowly lost 8-7 to Luke Humphries in the tournament final before settling in to watch England’s 2-0 victory over Panama at the Club World Cup.

The reigning world champion joined hosts Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards as the latest celebrity guest on the popular football programme.

But it was a light-hearted speed darts challenge that stole the spotlight.

Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata watched on from the sidelines as Littler stepped up to the oche looking to topple Lineker’s leading score.

The ex-England striker had already posted an impressive 327 points, leaving the darts ace with a target to beat.

Despite his reputation on the board, Littler could only manage 293, leaving him well short of top spot.

His total also placed him behind a host of other famous names, including golfer Ian Poulter, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, and former football stars Frank Lampard and Ally McCoist.

Lineker couldn’t resist teasing the young star before the challenge began.

He joked: “This is darts, Luke. So what you do, you stand on this thing called the oche.”

Littler smiled and replied: “Okay, no pressure.”

Lineker immediately fired back: “No pressure, Luke.”

As the clock ticked down, the tension increased.

“Five seconds. You’ve got one more go. Quick,” Littler was urged as he rushed to squeeze in a final visit.

After the challenge, Lineker milked the suspense while revealing the score.

He said: “World Cup of Darts champion, Luke Littler. Luke ‘The Nuke’, here we go.

“I can reveal your score. It ends in a three. The middle number is a nine. Yeah… and that’s a two.”

Littler instantly knew the outcome.

“I knew it. It didn’t feel good,” he admitted.

That left Lineker celebrating an unlikely victory as he laughed: “Oh my goodness me. This is, well, quite something.

“Wow. Hang your head in shame, man.”