Luke Littler will take on Luke Humphries in a rematch of the World Darts Championship final on Night Nine in the Premier League in Belfast; watch the Premier League Darts roadshow every Thursday night live on Sky Sports
Thursday 28 March 2024 18:28, UK
Luke Littler might not have clinched victory in the Premier League - but there is zero reason for concern over the form of the teenager star, insists Colin Lloyd.
The 17-year-old is in the middle of his debut campaign in the tournament in the wake of his staggering World Championship run, which, coupled with his nine-dart and Bahrain Masters heroics, has propelled him to viral fame and prominence after reaching the final against eventual champion Luke Humphries.
He currently sits outside of the playoff spots in fifth place in the Premier League table, but is level on 13 points with fourth-placed Michael Smith and third-placed Nathan Aspinall ahead of Night Nine in Belfast this Thursday.
"I wouldn't panic about it at the moment, he took a week off and I think that was a good thing and a very mature thing to do because he's been doing absolutely everything since his fantastic run at the World Championships," said Lloyd on the Love The Darts podcast.
"It makes you think whether he's had a bit of time to sit down, relax, take everything in and regroup and carry on doing what he's doing. He's going to come back on Thursday night and come back fresh hopefully and he'll come back firing.
"You see people on social media saying the bubble has burst, no it hasn't! It's very sad."
Littler found himself up against an inspired Smith fight back on Night Eight in Dublin as he surrendered an early 3-1 advantage to lose 6-4 to the former world champion in his quarter-final.
It was his earliest exit in the Premier League since Night Three in Glasgow, his best performance to date coming on Night Two in Berlin when he was a beaten finalist against Michael van Gerwen.
Lloyd said he would grade Littler's campaign as a 'B' so far, with the rising face of darts sitting just two points behind second-placed MVG.
"Let's be brutally honest and a bit cut-throat about it, it's a 17-year-old lad, give him a bit of space," said Lloyd. "People are breathing down his neck for some unknown reason, he's a very very talented young man with a great career ahead of him.
"He believes and knows how good he is and he flaunts it a little bit, so what? You want that in life and in sport. You want somebody who is a bit showy and flash.
"I think he is going to get better, it's his first ever Premier League. There's no reason whatsoever why he can't make the playoffs."
Awaiting Littler is a rematch of the World Darts Championship final when he takes on Humphries, who tops the Premier League table comfortably on 22 points.
There are eight nights remaining ahead of the Play Offs on Thursday May 23, at the O2 Arena.
"I've got a theory that Luke Littler won't win a night, he'll scrape into the finals and win the entire thing," said Polly James on Love The Darts.
"Wouldn't that be even better? If he doesn't win a night, scrapes in and wins the whole thing. People would lose their minds.
"I'm totally drinking the Littler Kool-Aid."
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Premier League Darts continues on Sky Sports on Thursday February 8 as Berlin is the next stop on the 17-week extravaganza all the way through to the Play-Offs at the O2 Arena in London on Thursday, May 23. Stream Sky Sports Darts without a contract through NOW
