Former darts world champion Dennis Priestley has called upon Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler to shed the pounds in order to realise his full potential in an exclusive interview with The Sports Daily ahead of the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Speaking in the wake of Littler’s victory over Nathan Aspinall by 5-2 to set up a final four clash against Stephen Bunting, Priestley compared the teenage sensation to none other than Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, the most successful competitor in the history of the sport.
He also gave his thoughts on Chris Dobey, a potential dark horse to go all the way and cause a major upset in this year’s tournament, as well as the need to keep increasing the prize pot for players as darts goes from strength to strength.
Q: Nathan Aspinall said that Littler doesn’t have many friends on the tour because other players are jealous of him. Is there less friendship in the sport now?
Dennis Priestley: “Luke Littler is in the same situation as Phil Taylor was back in the day. It’s just life.
“People will always be jealous of the top dog. I don’t think Phil had too many mates on tour either, although I can’t recall players being unsavoury to his face.
“I can’t see Phil Taylor ever being jealous of what Littler is doing for the sport. For Luke to achieve what Phil has in the next 20 years, Taylor will be 84 years old and I can’t see him being jealous if he’s still alive then.”
Q: Who would win if Luke Littler faced Phil Taylor at their respective peaks?
Dennis Priestley: “I think if Luke and Phil were able to play each other, both in their prime, in the World Championship final, Phil would beat Luke 7-4.”
Q: How long before players are competing for a £1million prize for winning the PDC World Championship?
Dennis Priestley: “Before the decade is out, the winner will get £1million for sure.
“It won’t be a big jump [from £500k to £1million] though. Adding £100k to the prize pot each year could be a good way to proceed.
“We won’t see the prize money reach as high as £5million, at least not in mine or Barry Hearn’s lifetime.”
Q: How much money do you think Luke Littler could eventually earn in his career?
Dennis Priestley: “I think Luke Littler could earn at least £1million per year throughout the rest of his career as long as he keeps his standards high and his love for the sport doesn’t decrease.
“Littler has to keep himself motivated, he has to think of the accolades and records that are there for him instead of the money.”
Q: Does Luke Littler need to change his lifestyle if he wants to have that long-term success?
Dennis Priestley: “While he’s young, Littler can get away with a lot of unprofessional, bad habits. He probably can’t see them now because he’s still a kid.
“He should look at Luke Humphries’ transformation and shed some weight. To keep on the treadmill of darts, he may have to go on a treadmill of his own.”
Q: The final is on a Friday night this year as opposed to the usual Sunday night. What sort of an impact do you think that could have on the game?
Dennis Priestley: “It’s unusual for the final to drop on a Friday night. Sky possibly have an influence on that decision, but Alexandra Palace will still be a sell-out and I think it will be an even better atmosphere which will likely contribute to a fantastic game.
“Despite the change in day, and with it being the weekend, I still think there’ll be nothing to worry about. The crowd has been very good this year and there’s been no trouble up to this point. The security will do what they need to do but I can’t see the change in days having any negative impact on how things will go on the oche.”
Q:Chris Dobey is the outsider to win the competition ahead of the semi-finals. Do you think he can upset the odds and go all the way?
Dennis Priestley: “Of course Chris Dobey could win the World Championships.
“I don’t think he will, but anything can happen at this stage. I’ve been really impressed with the Geordie contingent this year. Ryan Joyce and Callan Rydz have both really impressed me too and I think they have huge long-term futures in the game.
“I think both semi-finals could go either way. I’m sure everyone would love to see a Luke Littler vs Michael van Gerwen final but it won’t be a given and both Stephen Bunting and Chris Dobey have what it takes to cause huge upsets tonight.”
