Luke Littler drew parallels with Wayne Rooney’s infamous 2010 World Cup outburst after experiencing jeers from sections of the crowd ahead of his Winmau World Masters triumph against Mike De Decker.
The World No 1, an avid Manchester United supporter, referenced the former England striker’s memorable “nice to see your own fans booing you” comments following a group stage match against Algeria.
Littler received a mixed reception as some spectators opted to heckle him during his walk-on before facing the Belgian opponent.
The teenage sensation has clearly taken lessons from his experience at Alexandra Palace, where he reacted to crowd hostility for the first time during his encounter with Rob Cross.
Speaking after his victory over De Decker, Littler offered insight into his mindset regarding the crowd’s reaction.
“In my head now, I think people want to see new winners. I think people are getting bored of me and Luke [Humphries] and Gian [van Veen] winning,” he said.
The World champion made clear he would not let the jeers affect his approach.
Luke Littler drew parallels with Wayne Rooney’s infamous 2010 World Cup outburst after experiencing jeers from sections of the crowd ahead of his Winmau World Masters triumph against Mike De Decker
|
PA
“So, obviously, people can pick who they support, people can pick who they want to boo or anything like that,” Littler explained.
“But I’m not going to do anything during the game, I’m not going to do anything after the game, I’m just going to do my darts.”
The match itself proved a nerve-shredding affair, with Littler admitting to experiencing “panic stations” as he came perilously close to an early exit.
Wayne Rooney famously snapped at booing fans after England’s draw with Algeria at the 2010 World Cup
|
BBC
De Decker stood on the brink of eliminating the World No 1 when he attempted a 142 checkout, having already established a 2-1 lead in sets with the fourth level.
The Belgian nailed both treble 20s in his combination but saw his double 11 attempt skim agonisingly past the wire.
That narrow miss proved costly as Littler seized the momentum, battling back to secure a 3-2 victory in a deciding set.
“I mean, a little bit. I’ve had to fight back and that’s what I’ve done,” Littler acknowledged.
Littler revealed the timing of his Rooney epiphany was remarkably coincidental, having stumbled across the clip on social media shortly after his Ally Pally clash.
Five things to know about Luke Littler | PA
“Well I mean, you’ve seen it with Wayne Rooney. That clip, it was at the World Cup or something, nice to see the fans boo or something. I seen that on my TikTok, literally, I’d say a few hours after the Rob Cross game, which is pretty crazy,” he said.
“Like I said, I think I learned from the Worlds, just don’t react and I’ve just got to play my darts.”
The World champion now faces Ross Smith in the second round this evening, after Smith progressed with a win over Jimmy van Schie.
Whether he can go all the way is something only time will tell.
