Luke Littler is unhappy with the absence of walk-on music at the Grand Slam of Darts. The teenager has walked on to Pitbull’s song Greenlight during his sensational breakthrough year in darts but has not been able to this weekend.
Littler thrashed Keane Barry 5-0 in his first group match at the Wolverhampton tournament. However, the Grand Slam of Darts does not use stars’ walk-on music during the group stages.
The 17-year-old, who has a strangely underwhelming television record despite an incredible year, is keen to advance to the knockout rounds to ensure he can walk out to Greenlight.
He told Sky Sports after his big triumph: “Hopefully I get my walk-on if I get out the group! I don’t like walking on with someone else.
“When I came on the stage, all the fans are singing my walk-on, so it gets me up for it. It gets me ready and I’m glad I won tonight.”
Littler’s highlights this year include winning Premier League Darts, reaching the World Darts Championship final and succeeding in several European events. However, his form on TV has not always been spectacular.
The Nuke was dumped out of the first rounds of both the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix. He has been keen to make his mark this coming week.
Littler continued: “I’ve been practising. Obviously, my major tournaments, it isn’t the best record. I just focused on tonight and I wanted to make a statement: I’m here to win.”
The Grand Slam of Darts uses a unique group stage format before a knockout phase. Manchester United fan Littler jokingly compared it to watching Champions League football.
He said: “It’s just like watching the football, watching the Champions League – the group stage. I’ve been leading up to it, practising well. I’m going to enjoy it and I’m really glad tonight.
“I want to top the group but obviously everyone wants to. There’s a bonus for finishing top as well. I just want to get out the group stage and focus on the first-of-10 legs and hopefully go on and on.”
Having seen off Barry, Littler will hope to top a group which also includes Dimitri van den Bergh and Lourence Ilagan. He could surpass £1million in prize money if he goes on to win the tournament, with the £150,000 adding to the £870k he has already banked this year.