Former professional darter Matt Edgar believes whistling and jeering fans could be Luke Littler's "Achilles' heel," suggesting the hostile atmosphere might be the 19-year-old phenomenon's "bit of kryptonite." Edgar made the comments in conversation with OLBG, noting that Littler is enduring a sluggish start to his Premier League Darts campaign, sitting seventh after four nights with just one win to his name.
Edgar pointed to last week's match in Belfast, where Littler lost 6-3 to Jonny Clayton, as evidence that boos and jeers from sections of the crowd visibly affected the young Englishman's game. "I saw people jumping at this a little too early in regards to saying Luke does not look as motivated," Edgar said. "However, it has to be a talking point that we are four weeks into it, and he has won one game. Look at the evidence with Luke Littler. He doesn't go to Germany, and because of that, he won't play on the European Tour. He hasn't been successful in places where that has happened."
Littler's record in Germany supports Edgar's observation. The ten-time major winner plays relatively little in Germany, regularly opting to skip Euro Tour events there. Last year he entered only one German tournament: the German Darts Grand Prix, where he reached the semifinals. He has had less success on other German stages, such as at the European Championship in Dortmund, where he has never progressed beyond the second round. Littler also encountered a hostile atmosphere at the PDC World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, where he was booed and whistled at during England's clash with Germany, a match England lost, with Littler looking visibly irritated.
Despite these challenges, Edgar remains confident in Littler's class, stating firmly, "I don't see a world where he is not in the top four. The story might be different in how we get there. We have already gone slightly different to how we expected it to go for him. Whatever road he goes down, I think all roads lead for him to the O2." Littler's next test comes on Thursday in Night Five of the Premier League Darts in Cardiff, where he faces Josh Rock in the quarterfinals.
