Luke Littler has been loudly booed at the Premier League in Rotterdam after clashing with Gian van Veen earlier this month. But The Nuke opted not to bite back in his 6-3 win over Gerwyn Price.
Even before Littler walked up to the oche in the Netherlands, the crowd made their true feelings known. Sky Sports broadcast images of Littler’s clash with Van Veen and jeers echoed around the Rotterdam Ahoy.
As he entered the action, boos got even louder and they continued during the match as Littler brushed aside Price. Any misses or low-scoring totals from the teenager were cheered by those watching on in the arena.
However, unlike in the past, Littler chose not to engage with these jeers, suggesting he may have learned a thing or two from clapping back at Van Veen.
Sixteen-time world darts champion Phil Taylor had warned Littler about this reception earlier this week and offered some advice. He told The Sun: “I think Luke’s tough enough to ride it out. The only way with fans is you’ve got to perform on stage. If he performs like he can, he’ll get them back.
“This week, he’s in Rotterdam. Maybe he’ll go over there, play the first match and think ‘sod it, I’ll qualify anyway (for the finals)’. Because that might be his plan. He might think: ‘Well I’ll just go there, I’ll play, get beat, come home and I’ll qualify anyway.’ Because he has got the ability.
“Next week, he’s got Liverpool. Obviously he’s a Man Utd fan, so he’s got to have a little bit of stick there. And then after that, he goes to Scotland. So, he’s going to get it up there as well. He’s going to get it – so get some earplugs!
“But I think he’s capable of dealing with it. He’s not a bad lad. He could go up there and think ‘I’m going to show you how good I am’ and play brilliantly.
“I don’t really do social media. It gets done for me. But if I was to advise Luke I’d say keep off social media. Don’t put anything on. Don’t do it. Don’t rise to it. Leave it alone.”