Luke Littler has playfully declared that he is “living rent free” in the mind of fellow darts star Martin Schindler after the German mentioned him in a post-match interview.
The 18-year-old, one of the sport’s brightest young talents, made the tongue-in-cheek remark on Instagram after Schindler referenced him while analysing his second-round victory at the German Darts Championship.
Schindler had fought back from 4–1 down to defeat Ireland’s William O’Connor 6–4 in front of a home crowd on Sunday and, in his post-match comments to Dartsnews, used Littler’s name as a benchmark for elite-level consistency.
“He started very, very well,” Schindler said of O’Connor.
“I took the first leg, and then there wasn’t much coming from me for a while.
“He was absolutely ruthless, three legs in a row with 180s and 140s — you’re just chasing shadows at that point.
“But I knew he couldn’t maintain that level for the whole match — not even Luke Littler could — and he didn’t.”
Although Littler was not competing in the tournament, he quickly noticed the remark and responded with a light-hearted post on social media.
Luke Littler has playfully declared that he is “living rent free” in the mind of fellow darts star Martin Schindler after the German mentioned him in a post-match interview
|PA
Sharing a screenshot of Schindler’s quote on his Instagram story, the teenager added a cheeky caption: “Living rent free up there in that head.”
The exchange was in keeping with Littler’s playful public persona, which has made him one of the most talked-about figures in modern darts.
His rapid rise has turned him into a global star and a household name in equal measure.
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Martin Schindler has spoken warmly on Luke Littler in the past
|GETTY
Schindler’s comments, however, were far from critical.
The 29-year-old has spoken respectfully of Littler in the past and even came to his defence earlier this year when crowd behaviour towards England players drew criticism at the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt.
Representing Germany alongside Ricardo Pietreczko, Schindler defeated the English duo of Littler and Luke Humphries 8–4 in front of an exuberant home crowd.
After the match, he condemned the jeering and whistling that accompanied the fixture, insisting the atmosphere, though intense, was not hostile by design.
“I think it was definitely one of the best atmospheres we’ve had in a World Cup,” Schindler said at the time.
“Obviously we have to say that we don’t approve of the whistling and booing.
Luke Littler has been in outstanding form in 2025
| GETTY“For us, it’s not easier because our opponents are getting booed or whistled. We still need to go out there and perform, and we’ve done that.
“Both Lukes have been struggling as it seems and I think the day is done now for us, and we are happy that we won that one.”
Littler also found time this weekend to indulge his passion for football.
A devoted Manchester United fan, he took to social media to celebrate his club’s 2–1 win over Liverpool at Anfield, taunting rival supporters with a typically cheeky message: “Yanited Yanited Yanited, where’s the Scousers, back under your rock you go, cause we are Man United and we are never gonna stop.”
United took the lead early on through Bryan Mbeumo, only for Cody Gakpo to level for the Reds.
However, the Red Devils picked up all three points following a dramatic late goal from Harry Maguire.