Luke Littler points finger at Gian van Veen in furious ‘staring’ rant as he reveals girlfriend Faith role in clash

Luke Littler has insisted his reaction during his heated clash with Gian van Veen in Manchester was aimed at his girlfriend Faith and her dad — not his opponent.

The teenage sensation, known as “The Nuke,” was involved in a major on-stage bust-up with the Dutch star during Week Nine of the Premier League.

World No.3 Van Veen took exception to Littler gesturing towards the crowd after he missed a crucial match dart in their quarter-final encounter.

Despite the tension, Van Veen held his nerve to seal a dramatic 6-5 victory, before the pair shared a noticeably frosty handshake on stage.

Littler has since been adamant that his emotional reaction was misunderstood and had nothing to do with celebrating his opponent’s miss.

Speaking to Online Darts, he explained his side of the story in detail.

“From my point of view, I am looking up at the TV thinking he is not going to miss,” Littler said.

“Even if he gets a shot at the bull, Gian is one of the best bull hitters in the game.

“You know if he is on a 124 or 128 he will just ping the bull. But when he came inside the double 15, I looked up and had a drink of my water.

“I did a little fist pump towards Faith and her dad.

“The fans were all screaming, so then I was like ‘come on’ to them and the whole arena.

“There was no need for Gian to look back and stare at me.

“He still has a dart in hand, so he should step back, look at the floor, then throw his last dart.

“He is staring at me. I did not do it to him. I did it to Faith and her dad, the whole crowd.

“There is no need for him to be staring when he has a dart left to throw to set up.

“What other people didn’t see was as I walked back round, I am still looking that way and he has put his darts down.

“So he has put his darts on the table but nobody sees that.”

The drama didn’t end there. After the icy handshake, Littler appeared to mime crying towards the crowd and was seen mouthing that his rival was a “crybaby.”

Moments later, he took to Instagram, posting a screenshot of his achievements as listed on Wikipedia alongside the caption: “Goodnight god bless, thank you, Manchester.”

He also doubled down by reposting Van Veen’s post-match comments — in which the Dutchman labelled him “out of order” — adding three large laughing emojis.

Despite the controversy, Littler remains firmly in the title race. He currently sits second in the Premier League table after securing three nightly wins.

He will return to action this Thursday in Rotterdam, where he is set to face Gerwyn Price in what promises to be another high-intensity showdown.