Luke Littler, 16, is being warned he faces a 'lonely and tiring roadshow' after his Ally Pally heroics quickly took him to Premier League darts, where he will leave his girlfriend and family behind to tour Europe touring
Teen doctor sensation Luke Littler has been warned that the Premier League is a 'lonely and tiring roadshow' and could lead to 'burnout' as he tours Europe.
16-year-old Littler, whose participation in the World Darts Championship final at Alexandra Palace captured the public imagination, is one of eight players who will compete in the 2024 Premier League.
The series, which kicks off in Cardiff on February 1, features a grueling schedule with 16 different locations in 16 weeks.
The tournament heads to Berlin and Rotterdam, in addition to venues in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, before the May 23 final in London.
James Wade, who won the Premier League in 2009, has warned that spending weeks away from friends and family could take its toll on Littler.
Luke Littler is likely to spend a lot of time away from his family and girlfriend Eloise Milburn after winning a place on the Premier League darts tour
Littler hugs Milburn before his match with Brendan Dolan at Alexandra Palace this month
Littler's father Anthony and mother Lisa watch the action at Alexandra Palace
Littler has been warned how tiring the Premier League roadshow is after being named as one of eight players on the tour starting next month
Littler brought excitement and new fans to the sport with his performances at Ally Pally
The teenager was supported by his parents Anthony and Lisa, as well as his girlfriend Eloise Milburn, 21, during his amazing Ally Pally run.
'I can understand the PDC's desire to bring Luke to the Premier League (he is their most marketable signing at the moment), but that roadshow is a lonely and tiring place and I really hope it doesn't come at the cost of a burn-out out. for the rest of his career,” Wade told the newspaper Daily star.
'He deserves to be taken care of because it's a great story and he can be a top player for a long time.
'Believe it or not, before Michael van Gerwen came on the scene, I was the youngest player ever to win a TV major in darts.
'They say the first is the hardest, but I thought it was the second – suddenly there are expectations, some haters, people who want to beat you.
'You have to deal with it all in a way that you have never experienced as an outsider.'
Littler, nicknamed 'The Nuke', stormed his way into the then Ally Pally final before losing 7-4 to Luke Humphries.
James Wade, the 2009 Premier League winner, has warned Littler about the demands
World number 1 Humphries will also play in the Premier League, along with Van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Peter Wright, Rob Cross and Nathan Aspinall.
The format consists of 16 mini-tournaments, each in a different location. Each week starts with four quarter-finals and proceeds as a knockout until a winner of the night is crowned.
The matches will be best-of-11 legs, with the winner earning five points towards their overall season total, the runner-up three points and the two losing semi-finalists two points each.
The top four players in the final rankings will qualify for the play-off at the O2 Arena in London on May 23, where they will compete in the semi-finals of the best-of-19 leg and then a best-of-19 leg 21 final to determine the champion. .
There is a £1 million prize pool for the Premier League Darts in 2024, with the winner taking home £275,000, while the weekly winner of each of the 16 nights leading up to the play-offs will win £10,000 for his or her participation. prize fund.
Following Thursday's announcement, Littler said: 'I can't wait – Manchester and Liverpool are obviously very close to my home city.
'I'm looking forward to the beautiful Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin and trips to Cardiff and Brighton. It will be a great experience.
'Playing darts week in, week out in front of tens of thousands of fans, against the best players in the world, is a dream come true.
'I've seen all the darts before. It will be a great experience for myself and I am happy to have the opportunity. It will be a good test for myself.
'But that's the nature of the Premier League. I just have to do what I do and show why I'm there every week.'