Luke Littler has drawn parallels between the jeers he faced at the World Darts Championship and the criticism endured by football star Wayne Rooney from England supporters during his career.
The 19-year-old, known as ‘The Nuke,’ encountered boos throughout his successful run to a second straight title, including before his entrance for the final against Gian van Veen. Tensions arose after Littler teased Stephen Bunting for an early exit in the third round, and he further stirred the crowd by responding to the boos following his fourth-round victory over Rob Cross, telling fans, ‘You pay for my prize money.’
Similarities to Rooney’s Experience
Littler reflected on the situation, noting it echoed Rooney’s infamous outburst after England’s goalless draw with Algeria at the 2010 World Cup, an incident the Manchester United icon later expressed regret over. ‘I think people want to see new winners,’ Littler stated. ‘People are getting bored of me, Luke [Humphries] and Gian [van Veen] winning. Obviously, people can pick who they support, who they want to boo, but I am not going to do anything during the game or after it, I am just going to do my darts.’
He added, ‘You’ve seen it with Wayne Rooney. That clip at the World Cup. I saw that on my TikTok literally a few hours after the Rob Cross game, which was pretty crazy. I’ve learned from the Worlds, don’t react and just play my darts.’
Recent Match and Ongoing Response
Littler shared these thoughts after securing a hard-fought first-round win over Mike De Decker at the Winmau World Masters. De Decker had a chance to close out the match at 3-1, but Littler mounted a comeback to claim victory in Milton Keynes. ‘That was a tough one,’ Littler told ITV. ‘I just didn’t get going there. Mike deserved to win the second and third sets. I had to fight back and that’s what I done. A little bit [of nerves] because it’s first to two [legs per set], not first to three. I got over the line, found about a bit of form and got the win.’
In December, Littler acknowledged he had ‘lost his head’ on stage amid the boos at Ally Pally. Immediately after defeating Cross 4-2, he remarked, ‘I’m not bothered, really I’m not bothered. Can I just say one thing? You guys paid for tickets and you’re paying for my prize money—so thank you for my money. Thank you for booing me, come on!’
Reflecting further, he said, ‘I think I lost it, I think it is still on there [the stage]. It is one of those things, the fans, you have got to leave it all in there and give out the odd little ones for the checkouts and breaks of throw, but leave it all until that winning dart. I think two years ago I would have started throwing my darts left handed, but that is how much I have grown and matured. People might not say I am mature, but try being in my position. I think it is the first time I have been at the World Championships and the crowd haven’t wanted me to win. I expect the worst on New Year’s Day, whoever I do play.’
