Luke Littler makes feelings clear on how successful Phil Taylor would be in modern era of darts

Luke Littler made his feelings clear on how successful Phil Taylor would be in the current era of darts.

Taylor won a record-breaking 16 World Championship titles during his career and is regarded as the greatest darts player of all time.

He also won 16 World Matchplay titles at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, with 'The Power' describing that as his favourite event.

He retired from the PDC in 2018. His last match was a world final against Rob Cross, which Taylor lost 7-2 in sets.

Taylor won his first-ever world title, the BDO championship, in 1990, defeating his mentor Eric Bristow 6-1 in the final.

Back then, most top players would average in the mid to high 80s, with Taylor recording the only 100 average of that year's tournament in the semi-finals.

Averages began to regularly creep into the early 90s as the 2000s then entered the 2010s, with elite players now capable of often recording 100-plus averages during matches.

The sport is also as competitive as ever now, with 20 different players winning the 30 PDC Pro Tour events last season.

Competitors on the secondary tours are now more than capable of winning on the main stage, with a case in point being Wesley Plaiser's success at Players Championship 28 in 2024. The Dutchman did not hold a tour card at the time of his title win.

But while the standard of darts improved over the years, Taylor improved with it - and kept on winning against the likes of Raymond van Barneveld, Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright and Gary Anderson.

Littler on Phil Taylor darts dominance

Now 64, Taylor told SPORTbible in February that he has no plans to ever pick up the darts again - but how would a younger version of 'The Power' have fared in today's era? Littler thinks he has the answer.

Speaking on The Overlap's Stick to Football, Littler was asked whether he could beat Taylor's record of 16 world titles, having won his first by beating Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in January.

He replied: "There's a record there to be broken, but it's going to take some doing. He also won the World Matchplay 16 times, so he's won two of the big majors 16 times, which is... It'll take some doing."

When Roy Keane asked whether the competition was 'not that good' in Taylor's dominant years, and whether he thinks the competition is higher now, he said: "I think it [the competition] is a lot better now.

"But then, you still Phil Taylor and Eric Bristow, it was still a good field. But nowadays, I think Phil could struggle."

Luke Littler was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.

How do you think Phil Taylor would get on if he was still playing in the PDC in 2025? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.