Phil Taylor has told Luke Littler two things the teenager must do if he is to equal his record-breaking 16-time World Darts Championship record
Phil Taylor has outlined two things Luke Littler must do if he is to match his record-breaking 16 World Darts Championship titles.
‘The Power’ is the greatest-ever player to pick up a dart but some fans believe that 17-year-old Littler can match and even surpass Taylor’s record. After winning the Paddy Power World Darts Championship, beating Michael van Gerwen in the final, Littler became the youngest-ever world champion in history.
His Ally Pally triumph rounded off an incredible year following his breakout run to the final of the Worlds last year. Littler is a long way short of Taylor’s world title count but with ‘The Nuke’ only turning 18 in a couple of weeks, time is definitely on his side.
Taylor’s 31-year professional career ended in 2013 before joining the senior tour and hanging up his darts in 2024. The 85-time major winner knows a thing or two about longevity at the top and offered his advice to Littler.
“If I could give him one piece of advice, or one tip to help him stay at the top, it wouldn’t be anything to do with his darts or the way he navigates his way around the board. I would tell him shoes.
“If you’re not standing comfortably on the oche, you’re not going to hit a target the size of your little fingernail, so make sure your shoes fit perfectly — and take two or three pairs with you everywhere.”
Taylor suggested that the constant travelling around the country and Europe to play in the floor and European events is one of the biggest demands on a player, adding that rest and sleep is vital. ‘The Power’ added his advice on how to stay on top of those potential issues.
“Sleep. Make sure you get enough rest,” Taylor said. “I still take a mattress topper with me everywhere I go because some hotel beds are like sleeping in the middle of the road.
“Your darts won’t go where you want them to land if you are bleary-eyed after a restless night.”
Taylor’s 16 world titles came in the space of 23 years, winning his first at the age of 29. Discussing Littler’s chance of breaking his monstrous record, Taylor replied: “Only Luke himself knows, deep down, if he is prepared to put in the hours, and it’s entirely up to him whether he wins another one, or five, or 15, 16, 17 and goes past me. But he’s young enough to do it.”