Phil Taylor shares takeaway advice he gave Luke Littler before wonderkid ignored him to eat pizza and win £1million

Phil Taylor has told Luke Littler to STAY HUNGRY and avoid takeaways during major tournaments.

“The Power” opened up about a conversation he had with Littler’s mum ahead of the World Championship, where a huge £1million prize was on the line.

Former world No.1 Taylor dominated the sport of darts for more than three decades, winning a record-breaking 87 major titles along with an unmatched 16 World Championships.

Taylor insisted that his strict routine was a key part of his dominance and admitted he even drew inspiration from ancient warriors when it came to preparing for matches.

Speaking on the Double Tops podcast, he said: “I was speaking with his mother last year and I advised her ahead of the World Championship.

“I said, ‘you’re playing for £1 million at the World Championship, don’t eat out of the hotel and don’t have takeaways – eat your food in your room.’

“That’s what I did. I’d read something from a bodybuilder about never eating outside of your hotel room because of the potential of getting food poisoning, so I would go to the supermarket, buy everything myself and cook it in my room.

“I used to set off the smoke alarm because I had a small air fryer or even a camping stove to cook it, but it worked for me so I stuck with it.

“I also watched documentaries on TV about Roman soldiers never going into battle on a full stomach, so for most matches I played I went into them feeling hungry. I used to think, ‘let’s get this done quickly so I can enjoy a meal on the way home.’”

However, Littler has taken a very different approach. The teenage sensation famously tucked into a margherita pizza before going on to lift his second world title earlier this year, after thrashing Gian van Veen 7-1 in the final.

Littler’s laid-back mindset on the biggest night of his career was highlighted by close friend Angry Ginge, who was there to witness it all.

He added: “He’s so chilled out, it’s unbelievable. I was with him before the World Championship final against Gian [van Veen], and his warm-up was literally just throwing a few darts while having a margherita pizza.

“After Gian had won the first set, they walked off stage and Luke looked over to where we were all sitting and just said ‘no more.’ He then went on to win the next seven sets, so he basically called exactly what was going to happen.

“He’s such a genuine guy and I don’t think people fully realise how down-to-earth he really is.

“Of course, he’s Luke Littler and he’s the best darts player in the world, but I really wish people would just treat him normally because at the end of the day, he’s just a normal and genuine bloke. That’s how he likes it, and I think that’s why we get on so well.”