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By Paul Jones
Luke Littler says he will just continue “to do what I do” as he prepares for his eagerly-awaited Premier League debut and the latest stage of a relentless playing schedule.
The 17-year-old sensation will lock horns with his World Championship final conqueror Luke Humphries in the last quarter-final of opening night in Cardiff on Thursday.
Since being beaten 7-4 by Humphries at Alexandra Palace in early January, Littler has won his first World Series title by capturing the Bahrain Masters crown.
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And he followed that up by reaching the Dutch Masters final in Den Bosch, where he was defeated 8-6 by three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen.
The punishing Premier League programme unfolds over 16 weeks at 16 different venues, taking Littler and his seven colleagues, who include Humphries, Van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price, to all corners of Great Britain and Ireland, plus rounds in Berlin and Rotterdam.
The competition then concludes with finals play-offs night at London’s O2 on May 23, with a £270,000 prize for the overall winner.
“It is how the calendar pans out. This is what I signed up for – a busy schedule all year long,” Littler said at a Premier League launch press conference in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
“I just keep myself to myself – that is what I do and whatever routines I do.
“When I was going to the airport for Bahrain I said to my mum that I just wanted 10-20 weeks off, please, but the schedule is just crazy.
“I know when I get a day off, I just make the most of it, and I have always said once I get into the venue, that is when I am in the zone.
“I’ve seen quite a few people have said, ‘Will the pressure get to him?’ But I just do what I do, do what I do best and throw my darts in the board.
“I don’t really want to practise at home, because once I get a day off I don’t want to be spending hours and hours on the board, so I spend hours and hours on my Xbox instead.”
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Littler’s achievement in reaching the world final as a 16-year-old will rank among the great British sporting achievements of any year.
And, while his life continues to change seemingly on a weekly basis, staying grounded is not something the teenager appears to struggle with.
“It is what it is. When you get to a world final at such a young age, you are going to get spotted, but you have just to get used to it,” he added.
“Ever since the World Championship and to get the opportunities, it is about grabbing them and taking them while I can.
“I have not spoken to anyone about any goals. I take whatever is next and you can only beat what is in front of you.
“I have already beaten five of them (Premier League rivals) over the past two weeks, so I know I can beat anyone when I am on it, but I also know that the other seven guys are going to be on it every week.
“Going over to Bahrain and Den Bosch, it gives me every confidence. It was a confidence boost because I know how to beat them.
“You have got to win three games to win the night (in the Premier League) and you have got to start off pretty strong.
“You can’t be going the first few weeks losing and losing and then you are six points off the top four. I will be thinking to myself to try and gain loads of points every week.”
https://twitter.com/BBCSportWales/status/1752729003243307457?s=20
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