Phil Taylor sends warning to Luke Littler and urges him to use hidden tactic he 'always used to do'
Darts legend Phil Taylor has advised Luke Littler to make two major changes to ensure he can dominate the sport for years to come after winning his first World Championship.
Littler lifted the world crown for the first time last month, defeating Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in the final.
He won his first title before the age of 18, pocketing £500,000 in prize money.
That success rocketed him up to number two in the world, and with another year of defending no prize money due to his relatively new arrival on the PDC main tour, Littler will be looking to close the gap to world number one Luke Humphries.
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'The Nuke' told BBC Radio 5 Live that he had little idea what to do with his winnings after scooping the main prize at Alexandra Palace - but was glad to have the money stored away in case he needed it.
Taylor, meanwhile, is the second-richest darts player of all-time in terms of career earnings - and has therefore had plenty of experience of how to deal with money during his legendary career.
Speaking exclusively to SPORTbible, Taylor explained how he used to safeguard his money - and also gave Littler another piece of advice to keep himself at the top of the sport for years to come.
He said: "Straight away - keep off social media. Don't bother with it. Let somebody else do it for you. You don't need to read things because it can upset.
"Make sure you look after your money. Two bank accounts - one in one, and half in another. So that's your tax. That's what I always used to do.
"Try to start investing your money, so if anything happens, if you fall down and break your arm or something, you've got something to fall back on."
'The Power' also sent Littler a warning about how other players will approach matches against him this season.
The 18-year-old has lost four matches to opponents with a 100-plus average so far in 2024, including a 6-2 defeat to Gerwyn Price at the Bahrain Darts Masters in which the Welshman averaged a staggering 115.31.
"Everybody plays well against you because you're a big name," Taylor said. "I said it last week - you get the Manchester United syndrome. And Liverpool.
"You have to perform every week, you don't get an easy game now. As long as you can take the pressure, people putting pressure on you.
"Because as soon as he loses, like he lost in the Players Championship, bang - they're on you. They're on your back. They start asking, 'What's happened to you? Has the bubble burst?' You have to be thick-skinned, take no notice of it and carry on.
"That's all you can do [control what you can control]. It's like having a pub. Don't worry about the pub across the road, concentrate on your pub. It doesn't matter what he's doing. But if he's doing anything good, have a think about it and do it yourself!"
Taylor also listed a number of players who he believes can challenge Littler and Humphries consistently for major honours this season.
"Joe Cullen will have a resurgence," he said. "I think Rob Cross will have a resurgence, because their form dropped a little bit [in 2024].
"Nathan Aspinall I like, I think he might step up again. And Michael [van Gerwen] has got it in him, but it all depends on Michael, if Michael turns up.
"I think he's under pressure a bit as well. Again he's probably listening to people on social media running him down and things like that. He'll have to put it right now. Michael can, and he probably will reinvent himself again.
"Last Thursday [in the Premier League], the best game of the night was Michael against Luke, without a doubt. That one was exciting to watch."
On a personal level, Taylor is now officially retired from darts - and states that he has no plans to ever return to the sport.
But has started a new role as a commentator for MODUS, with their recent Legends Series featuring the likes of ex-PDC or BDO stars Steve Beaton, Simon Whitlock and Martin Adams.
The recent Q-School event saw several players qualify who had honed their craft in MODUS, with the series becoming an increasingly important bridge between the lower ends of the PDC and players desperate to get onto the Main Tour.
The Players Championship 1 event, held this week in Wigan, was headlined in that sense by former MODUS player Darryl Pilgrim reaching the quarter-finals of the 128-player event in his first tournament as a PDC tour card holder.
On the impact of MODUS, Taylor said: "I've been speaking to Simon [Whitlock], and he looks absolutely shattered [from his years on the PDC circuit]. It's doing him good [playing MODUS].
"He's having a little bit of a break, practicing and getting back on the board, and then obviously try to get his tour card back for next year.
"If you think about it, the PDC players with the tour card were earning money more or less every week. Now, [some] earn nothing, so it's from one extreme to the other, really.
"With MODUS, they've got a chance to earn a few bob as well to pay the bills."
Starting this year, the MODUS Super Series Darts debuted exclusively on Pluto TV. The new channel “MODUS Super Series Darts” features around the clock darts programming, including Super Series Tournaments, 104 Live Matches every week, in-depth features and documentaries that explore the journeys and stories of darts personalities, and more. The channel promises to be the ultimate destination for darts enthusiasts and newcomers alike, celebrating the sport in all its glory.
Topics: Luke Littler, Darts, Spotlight
Ryan Smart