‘He’ll walk away’ – Phil Taylor fears Luke Littler will QUIT darts in pursuit of ‘peaceful life’ amid shocking abuse

PHIL TAYLOR has warned that Luke Littler could eventually walk away from darts if the teenage sensation continues to face hostile treatment from crowds.

The 16-time world champion has thrown his support behind the world No.1 after Littler revealed he had considered stepping away from the sport following months of boos and abuse from spectators.

Littler became emotional after reclaiming his Premier League title and later admitted that negative receptions across Europe had taken a toll on him, leaving him questioning his future in the game.

Taylor believes the young star is now at a crossroads.

Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “I felt sorry for him. It’s not nice.

“When you’re up there and people are calling you all the names under the sun, which they do, it is abuse. It’s not right.

“We’re there to entertain.”

Taylor enjoyed one of the most successful careers in darts history, winning a record 87 major PDC titles during a professional career that spanned more than three decades before retiring in 2018.

The legendary Englishman admitted that dealing with abuse from fans was one of the factors behind his decision to step away from the sport.

He said: “I was glad to get away from darts in the end. I was 58 years old and I’d had enough.

“Barry Hearn said, ‘Do you want to have a couple of years?’

“I said, ‘No, I’ve had enough now. I want to have a peaceful life.’

“I think it’s great now because it’s nice and peaceful.

“I love my life now but when you’re up there week in and week out, it is hard to shake off people calling you obscenities all the time.

“I know you’re getting well paid for it but it still does affect you.”

Taylor stressed that success, fame and prize money do not make players immune to the mental strain of constant heckling.

He added: “At the same time, be careful what you wish for because every silver cloud always has a little bit of grey lining with it.

“So you have to be careful and it’s just something now that he’s got to get used to.

“He’ll either get used to it or he’ll walk away from it.

“When you’re up there and people are calling you all the names under the sun, it is abuse.

“It’s not right.”

Littler returns to action on Friday at the Nordic Darts Masters, where he is set to take on Norway’s Cor Dekker in his opening match.