Luke Littler could be set for boos and jeers at this week’s Premier League Darts.
Luke Littler will be well aware that a hostile reception awaits him in Liverpool this week as he attempts to claim another Premier League Darts win. The 17-year-old will open Thursday’s action against Gerwyn Price in an attempt to bounce back from the previous week’s quarter-final exit to Michael Smith.
Littler is typically a crowd favourite at each venue following his World Championship heroics and showmanship style of play at the oche, but the Warrington star’s allegiance to Manchester United could work against him at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
United and Liverpool’s rivalry on the football pitch is unlikely to do Littler any favours, especially after he trolled Jurgen Klopp in the aftermath of the FA Cup quarter-final which saw United progress at Liverpool’s expense.
Moments after the extra-time victory thanks to Amad Diallo’s 121st-minute winner, Littler posted a meme on X (formerly known as Twitter) involving himself and the Reds’ head coach. It was captioned: “What is the difference between Luke Littler and Jurgen Klopp. Littler has more trebles!”
Despite Klopp being set to leave Anfield at the end of the season as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever managers, defeat against United ensured that they would end the season without a chance at winning a treble. Defeat across two legs to Serie A outfit Atalanta also saw Liverpool exit the Europa League, with the Premier League now Klopp’s only chance at silverware on his farewell tour.
Klopp has won almost every trophy available as Liverpool boss during his eight years at the club, but comes up short compared to Manchester City last year and United in 1999 as the only two teams in English football to complete a treble.
Littler promptly deleted his post after backlash from Liverpool fans, though his fellow United supporters joined the teenager revelling in their rivals’ misery.
Littler has never hidden his allegiance to United, watching a match at Old Trafford this year where he met legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson at their 2-2 draw with Tottenham in January, before spending the day at their training ground to have a game of darts with the squad.
“Unbelievable, I met Sir Alex Ferguson and got him to sign my top for me. I had a chat with him and I was with [boxer] Tommy Fury as well,” he told MUTV. “It was good to get me in a quite good seat and I actually wore some decent clothes for once, instead of just trackies!”
Littler also revealed that he hoped to one day parade the World Championship trophy at Old Trafford, though such comments and jibes at Liverpool are unlikely to endear him to Thursday’s crowd.