I confronted Luke Littler’s dad over his treatment of his son when he was just 12, says darts rival Nathan Aspinall

Luke Littler may be the most exciting talent darts has ever seen, but one of his rivals has revealed his amazement at his father’s tough-guy approach when The Nuke was just 12 years old.

Littler is perhaps the most talented teenager since Wayne Rooney to emerge on the English sporting landscape, consolidating that with a majestic victory at the World Championship last week.

He defeated three-time champion Michael van Gerwen – considered by many to be the best player of his generation – 7-3 in a stunning display of skill after reaching his second successive final.

Littler has continued to transform the face of darts and brought new life and attention to the sport, breaking records, dartboards and TV ratings, and for good measure winning the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year for 2024 .

But one of his rivals, Nathan Aspinall, who he defeated on his way to his Alexandra Palace triumph last week, opened up about the first time he came across The Nuke and how his father Anthony shaped this prodigious talent.

“I think the first time I met Luke was in Chester at a tournament and I beat him 4-3,” said The Asp.

Littler (left, aged 12) has already faced some of the best in the game, alongside Luke Humphries (right) and Nathan Aspinall, while still at school

Nathan Aspinall has spoken about his first encounter with Littler with The Nuke when he was just 12

‘I think he was four years old! No, he was around 12 and wow, I just thought, “Who is this kid?”

“I remember seeing his father with him and him being very critical of him because he had lost.

“I was thinking mate, he’s 12 and I was in the top 16 in the world at the time. I said, “Give him a break.”

‘His father said, “No, he has to learn.”

“Those tough talks over the years have probably produced one of the best players in our sport.

“He’s great and what more can you say?”

Littler is now one of the most marketable figures in the sport in England after his meteoric rise to superstardom following last year’s World Darts Championship run.

Given his age, there has been a lot of talk about Littler taking over Phil Taylor’s legendary record of 16 World Cup victories, and the Power gave the teenager some advice after his stunning win.

Aspinall was one of Littler’s victims on the way to the stunning crown at the World Darts Championship

Anthony has been in Littler’s corner his entire career and was there to give his son some words of encouragement before Friday’s final

“If I could give him one piece of advice, or one tip to help him stay at the top, it would have nothing to do with his darts or the way he works his way around the board,” he said via the Sun. .

“I would tell him shoes. If you don’t stand comfortably on the oche, you won’t hit a target the size of your little finger, so make sure your shoes fit perfectly – and take two or three pairs everywhere.

‘And sleep. Make sure you get enough rest.

‘I still take a mattress topper everywhere, because some hotel beds are like sleeping in the middle of the road.

“Your darts don’t go where you want them to land when you have watery eyes after a restless night.”

Taylor says the sky is the limit for Littler and his success just depends on how much work he is willing to put in.

“It is entirely up to Luke how long he plays, how committed he remains and how many titles he wins,” the 64-year-old added.

“Let the child play for now. He’s a world champion at 17, the youngest to do so by a mile, and he’s just brilliant.

Darts legend Phil Taylor believes Luke Littler can improve on his record of 16 World Championship titles

‘When people ask how many world titles he can win, remember that he has all the time in the world if he wants it.

‘I was almost thirty when I won my first world championship – and Paul Lim won more than twice as much as I did for hitting a nine-darter than for winning the whole thing.

‘To win sixteen in a period of 23 years took a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifices.

‘Only Luke himself knows deep down whether he is willing to put in the hours, and it is entirely up to him whether he wins one more, or five, or fifteen, sixteen, seventeen and passes me. But he’s young enough to do it.’