Luke Littler has drawn parallels between the jeers he faced at the World Darts Championship and the criticism Wayne Rooney encountered from England fans during his football career.
The 19-year-old, known as ‘The Nuke,’ secured his second consecutive title but endured boos from the crowd on multiple occasions, including before his walk-on for the final against Gian van Veen. Tensions arose after Littler mocked Stephen Bunting for an early exit in the third round, and he further escalated the situation by responding to the boos following his fourth-round victory over Rob Cross, telling fans, ‘You pay for my prize money.’
Similarities to Rooney’s 2010 World Cup Moment
Littler reflected on the experience, noting its resemblance to Rooney’s infamous reaction after England’s 0-0 draw with Algeria at the 2010 World Cup. Rooney, the Manchester United legend, later expressed regret over his post-match outburst toward the booing supporters.
‘I think people want to see new winners,’ Littler stated. ‘People are getting bored of me, Luke [Humphries] and Gian [van Veen] winning. Obviously, people can pick who they support, who they want to boo, but I am not going to do anything during the game or after it. I am just going to do my darts.’
He continued, ‘You’ve seen it with Wayne Rooney. That clip at the World Cup. I seen that on my TikTok literally a few hours after the Rob Cross game, which was pretty crazy. I’ve learned from the Worlds—don’t react and just play my darts.’
Recent Match and Ongoing Challenges
Littler shared these thoughts following a mixed crowd reaction after his first-round win over Mike De Decker at the Winmau World Masters. De Decker had a chance to close out a 3-1 victory but missed a match dart, allowing Littler to mount a comeback and secure the win in Milton Keynes.
‘That was a tough one,’ Littler told ITV. ‘I just didn’t get going there. Mike deserved to win the second and third sets. I had to fight back and that’s what I done. A little bit [of nerves] because it’s first to two [legs per set], not first to three. I got over the line, found about a bit of form and got the win.’
In December, Littler acknowledged that he had ‘lost his head’ on stage after responding to the boos at Ally Pally. Immediately after defeating Cross 4-2, he remarked, ‘I’m not bothered, really I’m not bothered. Can I just say one thing? You guys paid for tickets and you’re paying for my prize money—so thank you for my money. Thank you for booing me, come on!’
Reflecting further, he added, ‘I think I lost it, I think it is still on there [the stage]. It is one of those things; the fans, you have got to leave it all in there and give out the odd little ones for the checkouts and breaks of throw, but leave it all until that winning dart. I think two years ago I would have started throwing my darts left-handed, but that is how much I have grown and matured. People might not say I am mature, but try being in my position. I think it is the first time I have been at the World Championships and the crowd haven’t wanted me to win. I expect the worst on New Year’s Day, whoever I do play.’
