Luke Littler 'could retire tomorrow' as darts superstar hints at abrupt ending to career
The teenage sensation has no plans to become a seasoned veteran of the sport.
Luke Littler might have been tipped to challenge Phil Taylor’s incredible haul of 16 world titles but he won’t be following in his footsteps when it comes to longevity. ‘The Power’ was 57 when he retired from professional darts following his final defeat to Rob Cross at Alexandra Palace.
In contrast, Littler has only just turned 18, and already has a world crown and a Premier League title to his name.
But despite predictions the teenage sensation will go on to dominate his sport for years to come, it seems he has no plans to compete at the top level for the next 40 years or so.
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In fact, ‘The Nuke’ has even hinted he could walk away from the oche at a relatively young age. Speaking on Huw Ware’s new Tops and Tales podcast, Littler insisted he would only be playing for as long as he stayed motivated to succeed.
“I won’t be playing at 50,” he said. “I could wake up tomorrow, the fire’s gone out of my belly, and I wanna retire. So maybe I can’t achieve it.”
His comments follow what can only have been an emotionally draining start to 2025, with the star in tears after beating Michael van Gerwen to become world champion. He had previously broken down after his first-round win over Ryan Meikle, where he hit a tournament record average of 140.91 in the final set.
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But since that tournament, he has not won more than two matches at an event. And this week, Littler was below par in his 6-3 defeat to Joe Cullen in the last 32 of Players Championship 1 - an event he won last year.
He averaged just 87.81 in the clash after low-key wins over Martin Lukeman and Jim Long. The performances drew criticism from fans online, prompting a stinging response from Littler.
He referred to the social media trolls when he posted on Facebook: “Still earned a few quid today while these are sat at home charging their phones waiting for me to lose.”
The scrutiny around Littler has increased since his incredible Ally Pally debut in December 2023. Indeed, this month, the Warrington Wolves will rename their stadium after him for a one-night tribute when they open their Super League campaign.
The venue will be called the Luke Littler Stadium when they play Catalan Dragons on Friday, February 21. It will revert back to the Halliwell Jones Stadium immediately afterwards.