Darts legend Phil Taylor has warned teenage sensation Luke Littler that he will need to remain "dedicated for at least 25 years" if he wants to break his astonishing record of 16 World Championships.
On Thursday evening, Littler was hoping to become just the third player to win consecutive Premier League titles, after Taylor and Michael van Gerwen.
However, he was beaten 11-8 by world No1 Luke Humphries, who took the trophy home for the first time in his career to complete the esteemed triple crown, consisting of the Premier League, World Championship and World Matchplay.
The Nuke has already broken a multitude of records this year anyway, with the most significant coming in January, where he became the youngest player to win the World Championship.
Luke Littler became the youngest ever world champion this year
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In fact, the now-18-year-old smashed the previous record, held by then-24-year-old van Gerwen, by an astonishing seven years.
However, one record that remains out of The Nuke’s reach is Taylor’s staggering 16 World Championship wins - no other player has won more than three.
Speaking to TalkSPORT, The Power jokingly discussed the teenager’s attempts to break his longstanding record: “I'll have him done for that, I've got some gruesome friends now!
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Phil Taylor issued a stern warning for Luke Littler if he wants to equal his 16 world championships
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“If he wants to carry on and win, beat my records, then he's going to have to be dedicated. And I mean dedicated for at least 25 years.”
Taylor, however, suggested that Littler is fortunate enough to have the option to go down the route of social media instead.
Littler has a well-known friendship with social media sensation Angryginge and has made appearances at the Baller League, featuring many YouTube influencers.
“If he gets the right advice and the right person looking after him, then he could do other things, like social media,” Taylor continued. “Some people make millions out of it.”
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Taylor’s comments come after Premier League semi-finalist Nathan Aspinall predicted that Littler could walk away from darts within the next five years.
Speaking to TalkSPORT, The Asp said: “I think he’ll be off in about five years.
“He’s already getting fed up with playing and travelling all the time, and he's only been doing it 12 months. I don’t think he'll be around for 16 years, let alone winning 16 world titles.
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Nathan Aspinall thinks Luke Littler will retire 'within about five years'
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“If he does, fair play to him. But I can't see it.”
Littler is not the only player to feel “fed up” by the schedule, with Humphries saying he felt “jaded” after his Premier League win.
However, The Nuke was quick to refute such claims, and it’s clear he has high ambitions - even as high as Taylor’s seemingly unattainable records.
He reaffirmed recently that he is here to stay, for the next 10 years at least.
“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."
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