Luke Littler dismissed the boos he received in Liverpool after claiming Night 12 of the Premier League, saying the reception he met in Rotterdam on Night 11 was “the worst he has experienced.”
The jeers follow a heated exchange with Dutch No 1 Gian van Veen on Night Nine in Manchester. Van Veen won a contentious match in which Littler reacted angrily after his opponent turned toward him while throwing match darts. Van Veen later accused Littler of being “out of order” for celebrating toward the crowd.
That incident meant Littler was booed as he walked on for each of his three matches during his run to the final in Rotterdam, where he played largely in front of Van Veen’s home supporters. He again encountered a chilly reception in Liverpool but responded on stage, defeating Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton to take his fifth nightly title. He now sits three points behind Clayton with four regular weeks left in the campaign.
“It is what it is,” Littler told Sky Sports. He said Rotterdam was far louder and more intense than Liverpool, and that he has learned to block out the noise. “I’ve won and we move on to next week. I was focused; I definitely wanted to win tonight and that’s what I’ve done. I proved last week I can win under those circumstances and I’ve done it again. There is no anxiety there. I just expect the worst, but Rotterdam was the worst I have experienced. It’s good to come through those games under those circumstances.”
Three weeks after the original spat, Littler says he and Van Veen still have not spoken but believes both have “moved on.” He says he is not the type to approach opponents to chat and that talk often comes the other way in practice rooms. “We can obviously settle it on the dartboard,” he added. “Off stage, we’ve not spoken, but I’m sure we will. I don’t regret anything. I had my opinion, he has his, and we’re both entitled to that.”
For now, Littler is focusing on his form and the remaining weeks of the league, confident he can handle the atmosphere and let his performances do the talking.