Eddie Hearn reveals shock role he played in getting Luke Littler, 17, into Premier League Darts line up
EDDIE HEARN revealed that he took to the PDC WhatsApp group to encourage Premier League organisers to include Luke Littler for 2024.
The 17-year-old shot to stardom at the 2023 World Darts Championship, but fell short to Luke Humphries in final.
PDC Chairmain Eddie Hearn campaigned for Littler to be included
Luke Littler, 17, joined the Premier League Darts competition this year
Much like the rest of the UK, Hearn was blown away by Littler’s performances and urged the Professional Darts Corporation to sign him onto the Premier League tour.
Despite placing as runner-up at Ally Pally, and earning a staggering £200,000, darts chiefs were somewhat hesitant to include the teen sensation.
Hearn – who is chairman of the PDC – said the board were wary about including Littler due to the pressure associated with the fortnightly fixtures.
But the boxing promoter then intervened to allay fears and put the youngster forward for the competition.
The 44-year-old cited Littler’s performance against Rob Cross in the semi-finals of the World Championship as the reason why he was more than ready.
Littler averaged 106.05, hitting 16 maximums and ton-plus finishes of 149, 142 and 132 during their clash – securing a 6-2 victory against the 2018 winner at the age of 16.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hearn said: ‘The PDC board have a group chat and as we know, around the World Championships it’s the finalisation of the Premier League line-up.
“You’ve got people who sit within the PDC who are extreme hardcore darts fans and have been for years. They’ve been a huge part of the PDC development and they weren’t sure.
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“A lot of feelings within the group was that Littler is 16. Does he have the tenacity? Does he have the mindset?
“Can he deal with the pressure? Can he deal with the media? We’ve got to be fair to him. We’ve got to give him the chance to develop as a player.”
Hearn also went into Littler’s impact on the sport and the continued growth globally of darts, with a particular focus on growing the sport in America.
He added: “You saw his mannerisms, his demeanour and the way he responded to the pressure that made you realise this kid is ready.
“That’s the greatest sign of someone who can handle the pressure. That is someone who can go up there, in that kind of environment, and play carefree.
“It ended up being the greatest decision ever because of what he has done in the Premier League. Look at what he did in Bahrain and especially look what he did yesterday.”
He lost in last week’s Berlin final against Michael van Gerwen.
And is currently gearing up for Thursday night’s Premier League showdown with Gerwyn Price.
