Luke Littler, perhaps to the dismay of his close rivals, downplayed retirement talk as he set his sights on adding longevity to his supremacy at the top of darts.
Nathan Aspinall this week claimed Littler could “be off in about five years” as the 18-year-old world champion shows no signs of letting his dominance slow.
Littler returns to the O2 arena this Thursday as he faces Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals of the Premier League while looking to clinch his second straight title.
He was quick to close down the prospect of walking away early.
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Watch Littler’s nine-darter from all angles as ‘The Nuke’ hit perfection on Finals night of the 2024 Premier League
“I know I’ve heard that, I don’t know where he’s got that from – don’t worry, I’ll be here in 10 years,” Littler said.
“It’s crazy to even think about retiring. If I win 16 world titles like Phil (Taylor), I’ll retire, but I’m not even thinking about retirement at the minute – the money is there to be won, especially the World Championship but not only that everything has gone up.
“It is all about what you’re feeling and I’m sure I’ll be here for a long time.”
Littler’s eruption on the scene has included Premier League, Grand Slam and World Series titles in 2024, followed by the 2025 World Darts Championship and the 2025 UK Open amid his rise to No 2 in the world rankings.
He topped the Premier League table this season to book his place in the final four, all too aware that he remains the man to beat.
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Littler beat Humphries in the Premier League play-off final to win the 2024 title at London’s O2 arena
“For the last 18 months there’s been a target on my back,” he said. “Since I first came on tour and made the World Championship final, I just knew.
“From the moment I walked into my first Pro Tour [floor competition], I knew everyone wanted to beat me. That is still the same now. There will always be a target on my back and I know if I’m not on my A-game, they will catch me out.”
Littler is looking to become just the third player to win back-to-back Premier League titles behind Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen.
Such is his unwavering dominance that Aspinall questioned whether Littler could afford to step away from the game sooner than most players.
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Full match highlights of Littler’s final with Humphries on Night 16 in Sheffield
“Even now Luke could retire and never have to worry about money again in his life, it’s as simple as that,” Aspinall said.
“He will always have exhibition work and I hope he doesn’t [retire]. He’s coming out of his shell a bit at the moment.
“I just believe if he’s fed up of travelling now, he’s only just got a girlfriend, when he does have a child and stuff like that and he’s got £30m sat in his bank, does he really want to travel to Wigan on a cold Tuesday morning? Probably not.
“Maybe not [retirement] in five years but certainly I don’t think he’ll be around at my age, so that’s 15 years. I don’t think he’ll be here at 33.”
Watch or stream Finals Night on Sky Sports
The Premier League concludes at the O2 arena, London on Thursday May 29 as table-topping Luke Littler plays Gerwyn Price in the first semi-final, and Luke Humphries faces Nathan Aspinall in the race to 10 legs with the final a race to 11. Watch Finals Night of Premier League Darts, in London, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+ from 7pm – stream with NOW.
Sky Sports is once again be the home of the Premier League in 2025, with every night exclusively live along with the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and more! Stream darts and more top sport with NOW
