Luke Littler is 'ruffling a few feathers' in darts but James Wade insists he is 'extremely good' for the sport.
The 17-year-old has taken darts to a whole new level in the last few months and has backed up his hype on the oche.
Littler already has three PDC tournament wins to his name following his record-breaking run to the World Championship final.
He has hit a nine-darter in each of those tournament victories and proved that he deserves to be mixing it with the best players on the planet.
James Wade says Luke Littler has 'ruffled a few feathers' among darts rivals
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Littler is preparing for night seven in the Premier League, where he faces current leader Michael van Gerwen in Nottingham this evening.
He currently sits third in the table, having won all but one of his quarter-final ties but is without a nightly win and has lost his last three meetings with the Dutchman.
Wade has played Littler twice, beating him at Players Championship 2 before suffering defeat at the UK Open earlier this month.
He admits the 17-year-old has got on the wrong side of a couple of players since his emergence.
But Wade insists he is only bringing positive things to the world of darts.
The four-time World Championship semi-finalist told the Daily Star: "There's obviously something about Lukes at the moment.
"Littler continues to make the game look extremely easy. He's hitting nine-darters, winning tournaments and ruffling a few feathers in the process.
"He is extremely good for our sport and everyone will reap the rewards from high viewing figures, wider interest and a new audience."
The feathers Wade referenced that Littler was ruffling were perhaps the altercation he had with Germany star Ricardo Pietreczko.
Pietreczko confronted the teen following his semi-final loss at the Belgian Darts Open last Sunday and afterwards called his opponent 'arrogant'.
Littler knows he is a target for opposition players, who are desperate to beat him.
He told Sky Sports News: "I think, ever since I have burst onto the scene, I know every player wants to beat me.
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Luke Littler has taken the darts world by storm in recent months
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"Even my family and my manager have said you have always got to be on your A game because anyone who plays me now, it is a cup final to them.
"Hopefully I can win a night. The Premier League is all about every week winning that first game and getting the two points on the board.
"Then trying to extend to the three points and the five points and going all the way."
Darts commentator Wayne Mardle insists Littler's confidence edges towards arrogance but doesn't think that is a bad thing.
Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler face off in Thursday's quarter-final in Nottingham
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Mardle said: "He has got this confidence. He's got this swagger, see it is arrogance, but you tell me a big hitter in the world of any sport, someone that's got this ability to achieve, they've all got what's seen as arrogance.
"I think it's just an inner confidence that comes out with Luke.
"Like I said, he's living his best life - if someone gets annoyed at his way that's not for him to worry about.
"That's for them to worry about and deal with deal it because at the moment, they've got to deal with him for decades to come and good luck with that."
