“I actually rate him even higher” — John Part makes a striking comment about Luke Littler in comparison to Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor

Three-time world champion John Part has shared his thoughts on Luke Littler, the growing popularity of darts in North America and the debate over whether the sport has become less competitive.

The Canadian, who has competed against some of the biggest names in darts history, now works as a commentator while continuing to play occasionally. Speaking to Online Darts during the World Grand Prix in Leicester, the 60-year-old offered his perspective on the sport’s development and the qualities that make Littler such a difficult opponent.

Despite celebrating his 60th birthday this year, Part has no plans to step away from darts completely. He continues to compete in local leagues and Championship Darts Circuit (CDC) events while balancing his commentary commitments.

“I hit the big 6-0 — the treble 20 — this year,” Part joked. “It’s intimidating. But I’m trying to work things out and trim up a bit, taking care of myself. So, yeah, I’m pretty cheerful, and I get to play some darts here and there.

“My local leagues have started up at home, and I’m still playing in the CDC events. I also get to do my job working on commentary, so I get a bit of everything, and it keeps life interesting.”

John Part encouraged by darts’ growth in North America

One of the developments Part is particularly pleased to see is the increasing popularity of darts across North America.

The US Darts Masters, held at Madison Square Garden in New York, has attracted enthusiastic crowds and helped demonstrate the sport’s potential in the region.

Having attended the event for several years, Part believes the growing interest is genuine rather than a passing trend.

“I think it’s three or four years now that I’ve been there. With every year we’re there, it seems more and more natural,” he explained.

“At first, you were just hoping for anything like that in North America, that kind of atmosphere. I guess in the first year or two, you just think, ‘Well, is it real?’ But it certainly is. We’ve found that out. There really is a genuine love for the game.”

Part hopes the success of the tournament will lead to more opportunities for North American players, particularly through additional events organised by the CDC.

“The fans bring it and support that event, which is definitely what we need in North America. It’d be really nice if that translated into some more CDC-type events featuring North American players.

“They’ve had a lot to offer at the US Masters in any case, so I think they’ve proven themselves worthy of support and other opportunities. But, yeah, the US Masters has turned out to be a really big launching point for darts in North America.”

The former world champion is also encouraged by the quality of players emerging from the region. While he remembers facing plenty of talented opponents when he began competing in the early 1990s, he believes North American darts is entering another promising period.

“I think it’s as good as it’s been for quite a while, at least. And I’m biased. When I started in the early ’90s, there was quite a haul of dart players you’d run into and try to compete against.

“They all had their own legends, but now we’re in a whole new era. I think we’re rebuilding that kind of atmosphere where there’s definitely a pecking order.”

Part has experienced that growing competition firsthand whenever he enters tournaments himself.

His reputation as a three-time world champion means younger players are eager to test themselves against him.

“I get people’s attention with the name tag, and I’m a scalp they want to get. They’re wary of me, at the very least, so I have to be pretty sharp to compete with most of these guys.”

John Part explains why Luke Littler’s defeat was no major concern

Part also discussed Littler’s surprise first-round exit at the 2026 World Grand Prix, where the world No.1 lost 2-1 to Luke Woodhouse.

The defeat prompted questions about Littler’s form, but Part believes a single disappointing performance should not overshadow the remarkable consistency the young Englishman has demonstrated.

“Absolutely, you can lose, and anyone can be off their A-game,” he said.

Part pointed to Littler’s extraordinary displays at the World Matchplay earlier in the season, where the teenager produced outstanding scoring throughout the tournament.

“I guess we got that ridiculous Matchplay performance from Luke Littler, averaging 110 every round or whatever. I think that was essentially what it was — a 110 tournament average. But that’s not the norm. That’s not normal, even for him.”

According to Part, even the most talented players cannot maintain their highest level indefinitely. Motivation, energy and concentration all play important roles in determining how well a player performs.

“You only have so much energy, perhaps, to put into this or that. To be truly motivated, play your best and care, you need to manage that energy. I don’t think he’s going to worry too much about it.”

Part remains confident in Littler’s ability and believes his performances at the biggest tournaments will matter far more than an unexpected early exit.

“I don’t think there’s any concern about his form or ability. I would say the timing is what’s going to be important for him.

“I would presume the Grand Slam will be important, and definitely the World Championship. If he’s right by then, that’s all that matters. And I think he’s right now. He just had an off game.”

John Part identifies what makes Luke Littler different

Having witnessed the careers of legendary players such as Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, Part is well placed to assess the qualities that separate the very best from the rest.

When asked how Littler compares with those former dominant forces, the Canadian highlighted the teenager’s age and the extraordinary amount he has already achieved.

“I mean, a lot higher, I think, in a way, because he’s so young. He’s coming through, and he’s already done all this.”

For Part, however, Littler’s greatest advantage goes beyond his ability to score heavily or finish difficult combinations. He believes the youngster’s winning mentality is a major factor behind his success.

Littler began collecting major titles at an exceptionally young age, and Part thinks those early achievements have helped shape his approach to competition.

“There’s the learning curve. He got it done as a teenager, and possibly even as a pre-teen. It’s as though he’s been conditioned in his mind to win.”

Part believes that mindset creates a significant challenge for Littler’s opponents. While many players must learn to cope with the pressure of competing for major titles, the young Englishman has already become accustomed to winning on the biggest stages.

“It’s a vicious curve for everyone around him who has to compete against him. He just keeps feeding into the idea that he’s going to win.”

The Canadian also highlighted Littler’s apparent ability to move on quickly after a defeat.

“He’s not familiar with losing too much, and he’s not worried about losing very much. It just happens once in a while, because he wins so much anyway. It’s like this one — it’s truly not a bother.”

Part suspects that Littler’s confidence allows him to treat occasional setbacks as minor disappointments rather than reasons to question his ability.

“I’m sure he just says, ‘Okay, well, I’ll win a whole bunch more later, and that’ll be fine.’”

John Part rejects claims that today’s darts standard is weaker

Part also addressed a familiar debate among darts supporters: whether the standard of competition at the top of the sport has declined compared with the era dominated by Taylor, van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright.

Some fans argue that the current generation, led by Littler and Luke Humphries, faces a less demanding competitive environment than players did a decade ago.

Part strongly disagrees with that assessment, suggesting that nostalgia can influence how people judge different generations.

“Not at all. No, I think what happens is that you look back and remember all the best moments.”

He explained that supporters tend to remember the spectacular performances and memorable matches while overlooking the disappointing results that every player experiences throughout a career.

Part often gives similar advice to emerging players, encouraging them not to dwell on mistakes during tournaments.

“Don’t worry about your bad visits when you play in a tournament. I say this to new players. People won’t remember your bad visits. They’ll remember the good stuff.

“The same goes for your matches. People remember your good matches and good performances much more readily than they’ll ever remember when you were just a bum and got thrashed 4-0 in the second round of a World Championship or something.”

The Canadian believes this tendency to remember the highlights can create an unfair comparison between past and present players.

He also pointed to the enormous difference in how darts is covered today, with live streaming, statistics and match footage making it easier than ever for fans to follow professional players.

“We tend to remember all the matches the players are playing now because we’re watching them. We have so much more access to every match a dart player plays. They’re practically all streamed in one form or another.”

Why older generations of darts players may be underestimated

Part explained that when he started competing, many ranking tournaments were organised by independent promoters and staged at venues such as holiday parks.

Unlike today’s professional circuit, those events often lacked the detailed statistical coverage that now accompanies major competitions.

“When I started, we were playing ranking tournaments run by outside organisations at holiday camps and places like that. There was no DartConnect, no averages and no information on those events.”

Televised tournaments provided much of the limited statistical information available at the time.

As a result, Part believes some fans mistakenly assume that exceptional averages and high-quality performances were rare outside televised events in previous generations.

“The only averages we ever got were from television. Some people presume we never produced great averages in opens and things like that, but that would be wrong too.”

Part is convinced that impressive performances were happening long before modern tracking systems made them easier to measure and compare.

“There was some pretty spectacular darts in those opens, especially over best-of-five-leg matches. I’m sure there were some crazy averages in there, because I’m pretty sure I would have been beaten by somebody hitting three 12-dart legs at some point.”

For the three-time world champion, the key difference is not necessarily the standard of play but the amount of information available to fans.

Modern statistics allow supporters to scrutinise every performance, while many outstanding displays from earlier generations were never recorded in the same detail.

“The information stream wasn’t there, and even the reporting on it wasn’t there. We know so much more now. I think it’s under the microscope, and we’re too picky. No offence,” Part concluded with a wink.

His comments offer a reminder that while the sport continues to evolve, comparisons between generations should account for changes in technology, coverage and the way performances are measured.

And with Littler continuing to make headlines, Part believes an occasional defeat should do little to diminish the achievements of a player who has already established himself among the sport’s leading names.