Luke Littler can achieve career history three more times at European Championship and it sums him up
Luke Littler will create his own piece of history with every win he now achieves at the European Championship after defeating Nathan Aspinall on Sunday night.
Littler averaged a staggering 114.47 in his second-round win over Aspinall, defeating him 10-4 in Dortmund.
The two-time reigning world champion will take on Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski in the quarter-final on Sunday afternoon, with Martin Schindler or Jonny Clayton awaiting the winner of that match in the final four.
Luke Littler's career history confirmed with Nathan Aspinall win
Staggeringly, the 19-year-old has won every PDC major in darts, except for one. And if you hadn't already guessed it, it's the European Championship.
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At odds with every other tournament he's competed in, Littler has never had significant success in the European Championship. He was knocked out in the first round during his maiden appearance in 2024, and only went as far as the last 16 in 2025.
When there was talk about Littler completing the 'clean sweep' earlier this year, before he was beaten by Clayton at the World Series Finals, there was naturally some focus on him achieving success in Dortmund being a pivotal moment in that pursuit.
There is less pressure on him in that regard, with the 'clean sweep' now unachievable. But his win over Aspinall means he has now progressed further in the European Championship than ever before - and will of course keep doing so as long as he keeps winning in Dortmund.
He will attempt to do so against the backdrop of a German crowd who haven't received 'The Nuke' particularly well in recent years - to the point where he stated he would boycott tournaments in the country starting from mid-2025.
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Luke Littler speaks out on German crowds after Nathan Aspinall win
Speaking after his win over Aspinall, Littler did raise issue with one fan in Dortmund for banging 'really loud' on the table before a crucial shot - before stating that his decision on whether he plays European Tour events in Germany will depend on how he is received this weekend.
"Just before the bull on the 126, the front table, they just decided to bang really loud on the table," Littler said (via Oche180). "The guy that done it, he looked up, I pointed at him. I said, 'That's you, that'. And then he just picked up his pen and started writing on his little 180 card, he didn't look up.
"He knew what he'd done but that's the first thing I've had all weekend, and the crowd's been very good. Because I've not been to Germany this year apart from Berlin, obviously it's the second time they've seen me. So obviously, I want a good reception because I want to be doing European Tours next year in Germany, whereas if they're not good to me then I won't go."
Topics: Luke Littler, Darts
Ryan Smart