Luke Littler clear on retirement plans after Premier League Darts rival's claim

Luke Littler wants to land another big fish when on Thursday night - but chip shop owner is planning to batter him. While has been chilling at the top of the table for almost four months, the ‘Iceman’ prepared for their semi-final in the play-offs at London’s O2 arena by frying the 14oz jumbo cod at his Chippy 501 takeaway in Markham.

And Littler, who was surprised to learn of fellow qualifier Nathan Aspinall’s fisherman’s tale that the former boy wonder plans to retire in five years, insisted: “I’m going nowhere - I’ll still be here in 10 years.”

The Warrington wizard has turned reeling in the big fish - for a maximum 170 checkout - into his trademark celebration. He would need a huge landing net to rake in a possible £335,000 jackpot from this year’s tournament (£275,000 prize money plus six £10,000 bonus payments for winning six nights of the 16-week league campaign).

Littler has had a mixed reception across Europe as , booed by crowds in Liverpool and Leeds because of his football allegiances and given a rough ride in Germany on the European Tour.

He’s had to grow up, in a competitive sense, since turning 18 at the end of January and he admitted: “There’s been a target on my back for the last 18 months since I first came on the PDC Tour and made the final at Alexandra Palace.

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“From the moment I walked into my first Pro Tour (floor competition), I knew everyone wanted to beat me. I wouldn’t day the crowds anywhere have upset me - I was probably more angry (at the way I played), and the biggest one was in Germany.

“I did what Gerwyn Price always does - go on , have a moan, take it down half an hour later - but I’ve got so many followers it was too late. It was already out there. Have I grown up this year? Maybe, but I like to think I’m still the same person as a man that I was as a boy.”

Littler ran amok in the record books during the 16-week Thursday night travelling circus across seven countries. He admits it would be a disaster not to repeat his triumph last year, when he unfurled a perfect nine-dart leg on his way to an 11-7 win in the play-off final against Luke Humphries.

If he wears the crown again, he will join and Michael van Gerwen as the only players to win back-to-back Premier League titles. “Obviously the stats are there and speak for themselves,” he said. “I’ve dominated in many ways - averages, 180s, ton-plus checkouts - but now it is down to performing on one night.

“I love Phil Taylor and Michael. It would mean everything if I could do the same as them. This is my first big TV title defence but I don’t want to look beyond the semi-final with Gerwyn and go from there.”

Aspinall’s claim about Littler retiring aged 23 caught him on the hop. His Nukeship shrugged: “I don’t know where he’s got that from - don’t worry, I’ll be here in 10 years. If I win 16 titles like Phil, I’ll retire, but I’m not even thinking about retirement at the minute - the money is there to be won.”

Price won six in a row against Littler either side of the , but the spell was broken in Manchester and Leeds. The Welsh firebrand found a novel way to prepare for renewing their rivalry - in his chippy.

Price said: “Bank Holiday Monday was so busy I had to go in to give them a hand. It was absolutely rammed from the minute we opened.

“I enjoy getting in there and getting my hands dirty, cooking up some fish and meeting the people that probably come there to meet me rather than eat the fish. When it’s busy, it stops me thinking about darts too much.

“My run against Luke was always going to come to an end at some point, so I would rather he has won two out of the last eight rather than me winning them all and he turns me over in the O2.”