LUKE Littler is loving the chance to follow in the footsteps of some of his heroes by playing at Madison Square Garden this weekend.
The 17-year-old Warringtonian, fresh from winning the Premier League last week, is the star of the show at the US Darts Masters in New York.
A big boxing and UFC fan, Littler is thrilled at playing at the famous venue in the heart of Manhattan.
“So many athletes and superstars have performed there and now we’re going to be there. I can’t wait, it’s so exciting,” the former Padgate Academy pupil said.
“We just keep going on this rollercoaster journey. We keep travelling to these amazing places like New York and I’m just enjoying the ride at the moment.
“Darts has gone worldwide. I know the US Masters has been going for quite a few years now and it’s just good to increase the popularity of the sport in the (United) States.”
Littler’s victory in the Premier League at the O2 in London last week saw him become the youngest ever PDC major champion and he is ready to achieve much more.
“I know there’s still a lot of darts to be played in my career, but I’m just enjoying the experience right now,” added Littler, who plays Matt Campbell in the first round today.
“I’m just taking everything in my stride – from the World Championship to Bahrain, to the European Tour and now the Premier League, I’m just a 17-year-old boy who is enjoying his darts!
“Maybe in a few years’ time I’ll look back and see what I achieved as a teenager, but at the minute I’m just focused on what’s ahead.
“I would love to win everything. That’s probably my goal, to win every major competition in the PDC and then potentially build on that.”
When to watch Luke Littler at the US Darts Masters
The first round of the tournament will see Littler reunite with a player he beat during his World Championship run – he saw off the Canadian 4-1 in the third round at Alexandra Palace.
Viewers will be able to watch “The Nuke” in action live on ITVX but it will involve a late night or an early morning – first-round fixtures are due to get underway at 7pm local time tonight, which is midnight in the UK.
Littler’s is the penultimate match on the schedule, so he is not due on stage until the early hours of the morning. There will be delayed coverage of the first round on ITV between 5pm and 9pm on Saturday.
The finals are due to be played tomorrow, again starting from 7pm local time (midnight UK time) with delayed ITV4 coverage available again on Sunday between 11.25am and 3.25pm.
bet365 US Darts Masters schedule
Friday May 31 (1900 EST)
First Round
Rob Cross v Adam Sevada
Nathan Aspinall v Stowe Buntz
Peter Wright v Alex Spellman
Gerwyn Price v Jules van Dongen
Michael van Gerwen v Danny Lauby
Luke Humphries v David Cameron
Luke Littler v Matt Campbell
Michael Smith v Jeff Smith
Saturday June 1 (1900 EST)
Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals & Final
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