Luke Littler has had a meteoric rise to stardom in the darts world but his behind-the-scenes behaviours have drawn the ire of some of his opponents, it has emerged.
The Nuke has burst onto the darts scene over the past few years dating back to when he was aged only 16 and currently sits second in the PDC world rankings.
The now 18-year-old won the PDC World Championship this year after beating Michael van Gerwen to win the title, having been defeated at the previous year's tournament by Luke Humphries.
Advert
His exploits at the oche have also led to him being named runner-up to Olympian Keely Hodgkinson at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
Littler has become one of the most recognisable stars in the sport and he currently sits second in the Premier League Darts table behind world number one Humphries after the former defeated the latter 6-5.
The second night of competition in Glasgow on Thursday was overshadowed, however, by constant whistles and jeers from sections of the audience, with those on the oche showcasing their frustration on numerous occasions.
Advert
The PDC has since confirmed they are working with Premier League venues to maintain a 'positive atmosphere'.
The Nuke has developed a reputation for his relaxed character and demeanour behind the scenes in the fledgling years of his career.
But it is a trait which initially bemused some of the veteran stars on the darts scene, including Peter Wright, who expressed annoyance at the teenager's lack of practice backstage before heading to the oche for real, but added it reminded him of Dennis Priestley.
Advert
Speaking last February, as per the Express, he said: "As for him not practising, it does annoy you when he's just sitting on his phone and then is like, 'Oh, do I have to play darts now?!’
“It reminds me of Dennis Priestley.
"He used to sit (before matches) and do crosswords and then he was like 'Oh it's time to play, is it?' Then he'd get up and play and smash you.”
And in November, Martin Lukeman took aim at Littler's diet after the Warrington-based star had beaten him at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.
Advert
He said: "He had a curry, and a Boost chocolate bar, then walks up there and just smashes me like that.
"I'm like, what? 98 per cent of the players down there just doing what they do, but he's actually had a curry, a Boost, and them little sweets half pink, half white… squashies.”
Topics: Luke Littler, Darts
John McDougall