Luke Littler Makes Bold Statement About Darts Legend Phil Taylor
Luke Littler, the current world darts champion, has raised eyebrows by suggesting that Phil Taylor, regarded as the greatest darts player of all time, would “struggle” in today’s competitive darts scene.
Phil Taylor dominated the world of darts for over three decades, claiming more than 200 professional titles, including a record-breaking 16 World Championships. However, Littler, who became the youngest world champion in darts history at 18, believes that the sport’s increased level of competition would pose a significant challenge for Taylor if he were playing now.
Littler, who triumphed at the World Championship in 2024 after reaching the final as a debutant the previous year, has already secured four major titles, including last year’s Premier League. He currently leads this year’s standings with an impressive 16 wins from 20 matches.
During an appearance on Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast, Littler acknowledged Taylor’s remarkable record but emphasized the current competitive landscape.
“There’s a record there [Taylor’s] to be broken, but it’s going to take some doing,” Littler said. “He also won the World Matchplay 16 times, so he’s won two of the biggest majors 16 times – it’ll take some doing. The competition today is a lot better. In Taylor’s era, there was still a strong field with players like Eric Bristow, but I think Phil would struggle now.”
Littler further added that he believes he could one day match Taylor’s tally of 16 World Championships, provided he remains committed to the sport.
“Phil Taylor was my idol,” Littler shared. “If I stay in darts long enough, I could maybe beat his record. He was 52 when he won his 16th world title, and if I want to, then I will.”
Despite his busy schedule, which includes competing in weekly tournaments and performing at Premier League Darts events across Europe, Littler confessed he doesn’t practice much. He mentioned that he had not touched a dart for a week before securing a recent Premier League win.
“My practice is playing in these tournaments every week,” Littler explained. “Some people like to practice a lot, but I barely practice during the week.”
Phil Taylor, after retiring in 2018, participated in the first three World Seniors Darts Championships but no longer competes in the sport professionally.
