Darts organisers have been told that including Luke Littler in this year's Premier League line-up is a 'no-brainer'.
The PDC are set to announce the eight names picked to play in the tournament at 4pm on Thursday afternoon and Wayne Mardle insists the teenager must be selected.
The Premier League will begin on February 1 and will continue for 17 consecutive Thursdays until the final at London's 02 Arena on May 23.
The top four in the PDC Order of Merit will automatically qualify for the long-running tournament.
Luke Littler has been backed to be included in the Premier League
Getty
New world No 1 and world champion Luke Humphries will be there following his 7-4 win over Littler on Wednesday.
He will be joined by three former world champions in Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith and Peter Wright.
Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall and Rob Cross are among the other names to be in contention for a spot.
Littler's performances at Ally Pally have given him a real shot at being one of the four wildcards.
And Mardle insists there is no way the teenager should be left out, claiming he brings every quality the tournament needs.
He said on Sky Sports: "I've been in the Premier League a couple of times and you get a gauge and a guide of who should be in and who shouldn't.
"First off, are you good enough? The answer with Luke Littler is yes.
"What does he bring to the table? Does he bring viewers? Does he put bums on seats?
"Will there be any kind of media around him that can grow the game? Yeah, it's an absolute no-brainer.
"For me? Yeah, he'll take to it like a duck to water."
Last week, Littler admitted the schedule he would face if selected for the Premier League would be daunting and he hinted that the PDC would leave him out.
He said: "I've seen what the Premier League does.
"You have Monday, Tuesday Pro Tours, and then Wednesday's the Euro Tour qualifiers, then you've got the Premier League, the weekend's Euro Tour.
"So I think the PDC are going to keep me out of it, because that will be just gruelling like everyone's said."
LATEST SPORTS NEWS
Michael van Gerwen won the 2023 Premier League
Getty
However, former BDO world champion Mark Webster reckons he will get picked after his mesmeric run in the last few weeks.
"I don't know how they can ignore him," Webster said.
"The score lines, the stats, the averages - he has just dispatched the players throughout every round.
"He's a special talent and whilst he's playing like this, he would be a great addition to the Premier League.
Luke Humphries will be at the Premier League as Luke Littler awaits his fate
Getty
"The coverage he brings with him as well and he's a young player, so he's got a big appetite.
"The Premier League's designed for Luke Littler and I'm pretty certain he'll be in it."
