Luke Littler claims Phil Taylor 'would struggle' in modern darts - as teenage star insists he will beat icon's World Championship record if he 'can be bothered'

Luke Littler has suggested a premier Phil Taylor 'would struggle' successful the existent darts clime arsenic helium continues to predominate the landscape.

Littler is the astir in-form subordinate successful the satellite currently, having catapulted into stardom erstwhile helium reached the World Championship last astatine 16 earlier winning the tourney a twelvemonth later.

He is besides six points wide astatine the apical of the Premier League aft 8 weeks, having won fractional of the nights this twelvemonth and besides won the contention successful his archetypal twelvemonth participating little than 12 months ago.

The teenage prima is the archetypal subordinate that has appeared to perchance airs a superior menace to Taylor's World Championship grounds - a tourney helium won 16 times passim his illustrious career.

Littler needs 15 much to adjacent the record, truthful it's aboriginal days, but helium has clip connected his broadside with 1 already successful his locker and having lone conscionable turned 18.

But, speaking connected this week's Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Littler suggested it volition beryllium a small harder to prime up 16 satellite titles for him compared to however it was for Taylor.

'There's a grounds determination to beryllium broken, but it's going to instrumentality immoderate doing,' Littler said. 'He besides won the World Matchplay 16 times, truthful he's won 2 of the large majors 16 times. It'll instrumentality immoderate doing.

'It [the competition] is simply a batch amended now. You inactive had Phil Taylor, Eric Bristow... it was inactive a bully field, but, nowadays, I deliberation Phil would struggle.'

Taylor's PDC vocation spanned from 1993 - erstwhile helium was a founding subordinate - to 2018, erstwhile helium retired from the sport.

Now 64, helium is inactive regarded arsenic the top subordinate of each time, and is 46 years Littler's senior. Target darts teased a lucifer betwixt the 2 connected April Fools Day, but they alternatively faced disconnected successful a lucifer of Jenga.

Littler, meanwhile, has grown successful assurance implicit the past twelvemonth oregon so, and is known for his laid-back cognition towards his game.

After winning nighttime 7 of the Premier League, helium claimed helium had not played darts since the week before, and withdrew from the European Darts Trophy - won by Nathan Aspinall - past month.

His cognition towards practicing has raised eyebrows, arsenic helium continues to bask immense occurrence contempt seemingly hardly hitting the board.

But, according to the antheral himself, helium volition surpass Taylor successful the aboriginal - if helium wants to.

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'Phil Taylor was my idol,' Littler continued. 'If I tin beryllium bothered to enactment successful darts for that time, I could possibly bushed his record.

'He was 52 erstwhile helium won his 16th satellite title. If I privation to, past I will.'

When asked what the biggest motivator would beryllium to support playing, helium replied: 'Probably conscionable the money, to beryllium fair.'

The prize excavation for players connected the PDC Tour was precocious increased, with the full yearly payout up from £7million to £25m, with the victor of the World Championship to triumph £1m alternatively than £500,000.