Brendan Dolan has revealed what Luke Littler was like backstage at the World Darts Championship.
The Northern Irishman, who lost to the teenager in the quarter-final, admits people were surprised by the composure of the youngster.
Littler upset all the odds by becoming the youngest player to reach a final at Alexandra Palace last week.
The 16-year-old brushed aside former champions on his way to meeting Luke Humphries in the showpiece final.
Brendan Dolan has revealed how Luke Littler was perceived backstage
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Humphries had too much for Littler on the night but he is still expected to have a bright future in the sport.
Littler grabbed the attention of the nation and has become a household name.
And Dolan admits he was liked by his fellow players off the oche.
He told Sunday Life: "Everyone seemed to like him backstage.
"It's great to see youth coming through, and it's brilliant to see someone fulfil their potential in that way, although obviously not against yourself.
"It's great. It brings more youngsters into the game and a lot of media attention, and in the long run, it's all just very beneficial for the sport.
"I would say people were surprised by his composure on such a big stage at a massive event. He handled himself very well, so he did."
Littler was rewarded by being named in the line-up for the Premier League, which starts next month.
Dolan has high hopes for the Runcorn-born star but has warned him that he will go through tough times.
He added: "I’m sure he has only ever kept throwing.
"He’s been putting the hours into practice for years and with all the media attention I hope he remembers just to keep doing that.
"It is a tough sport and he will go through great times and bad times and he just has to keep working, keep his composure the way he has done and I think he’ll have a long and successful career.
"It was unusual to be playing someone so young, he wasn’t able to compete on the tour last year because he was too young.
"He qualified for the worlds through the development tour. I wasn’t naive as I knew how good he’d been earlier in the tournament and that he had been winning things on the amateur circuit.
"I knew enough about him, I wasn’t caught on the hop or anything, it just wasn’t my day."
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Luke Littler beat Brendan Dolan at the quarter-final stage
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Dolan lost 5-1 to Littler in their quarter-final clash.
The 50-year-old was pleased with his performance despite falling up short against the teen.
He said: "I’m delighted with my performance and the results I got along the way, I was a bit disappointed I didn’t put up a better showing in the quarter-final against Luke.
"I just felt that my scoring wasn’t there and I basically let the young fella run away with it but at the same time he played very, very well.
"It was great being on stage with him — for me it doesn’t matter who I’m playing, it’s whether I play or not.
Luke Littler came runner up at the World Darts Championship
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"There are days that for whatever reason it doesn’t click up there but the fans were never going to be on my side.
"They weren’t booing me or anything like that there, the atmosphere didn’t interfere with my game, it was just I wasn’t able to produce on the day.
"It wouldn’t have mattered if it was Luke Littler, Raymond van Barneveld, Phil Taylor or whoever else it would have been the same outcome."
