In an exclusive interview with SPORTbible, Luke Littler has opened up about the possibility of being coached by Phil Taylor and revealed exactly what will happen when the two could face off in the near future.
With a record 16 World Championships to his name, Taylor is undoubtedly the greatest player in the history of darts, and stands a good chance of holding that title for a long time yet.
But one man that could challenge the darts legend's status of the GOAT, is teenage dart sensation Littler, who has entered into only his second Premier League season fresh off the back of winning the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship.
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In an exclusive interview with SPORTbible, the 18-year-old has revealed details of a potential matchup with Taylor and responded the the 64-year-old's offer to coach him in the future.
Ahead of Littler's triumph at the World Championship final last year, Taylor spoke of the teenager's meteoric rise and explained that he would love to work with the young talent as a mentor.
However, while he said that he appreciated Taylor's offer, Littler revealed that working alongside the darts legend is not something that he plans to do right now.
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Speaking to SPORTbible, via Specsavers' Best Worst Team, Littler admitted: "That could possibly happen down the line but as of now, it’s just a case of me focusing on the busy schedule ahead.”
If Taylor were to mentor Littler in the future, one potential sticking point in their work could be the reigning champion's love for playing and streaming FIFA Ultimate Team.
Part of Littler's massive rise in popularity has been due to his livestreams alongside several of the UK's biggest streamers on Twitch, but if Taylor were coaching him, this would be restricted to as little as an hour a day.
But Littler admitted that this is something that he wouldn't be prepared to give up his gaming career if he were to start working with the darts legend.
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"I probably won’t but obviously when I grow up then that could be something for the future," Littler revealed.
While some fans may be disappointed to hear that the Littler and Taylor collaboration won't be happening, the 18-year-old hinted that a potential exhibition match between the two could be on the cards.
And while he has been outspoken about distancing himself from the GOAT debate, Littler said that he would relish in the opportunity to test himself against a titan of the sport.
“I’m sure that will happen soon. Sooner rather than later," Littler teased.
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"To share the stage with him will be incredible. I’m sure we’ll make it happen.”
Should a match between Littler and Taylor be announced, it would perhaps be the biggest match in the history of the sport, and the young Englishman thinks he'd come away victorious.
He said: “If Taylor does start practising then it will be tough, but if he just sits at home and then comes to an exhibition then I fancy my chances.”
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Littler recently appeared in the latest episode of the Specsavers' Best Worst Team series on YouTube, as he stepped off the oche and onto the pitch to provide Somerset's Tunley Athletic with some much-needed coaching.
The grassroots team has been receiving guidance from former Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United manager Harry Redknapp, but Littler was able to use his experience in the World Championships to advise them how to best perform under pressure.
“The opportunities that I’m getting are massive, and this one was great to get involved in," Littler told SPORTbible
"It’s a big thing. It’s not every day a darts player can go and see the worst team play. It was good to see all of the lads.
“It was just a case of telling them to focus throughout the game. When they concede a goal, the heads will drop and when you lose a leg of darts it’s the same. But there’s still time left to bring it back. Keep going until the final whistle.”
During his time with the team, Littler competed with them both on the pitch and on the oche, taking on a series of challenges while discussing his mental preparation for big matches.
Although Littler comfortably won all of the darts challenges, even when blindfolded, he was amazed after Tunley’s manager Duncan Fear casually hit an impressive 180, shocking both his team and the World Champ.
However, while he agreed that they had time on their side to better their game, Littler admitted that he wasn't too impressed with the overall quality of the Tunley players when they stepped up to darts board.
“They’ve got years on their side just like me, so if they want to I’d just say to practice and keep practising. But I’d probably just stick to football," said the darts sensation.
Topics: Luke Littler, Darts
Ben McCrum