Luke Littler is looking to insure his golden arm against injury or accidental damage to the tune of millions. At 18, the pied piper of darts is already the highest earner in his sport and expects to join the big-money stars who safeguard their future wealth.
Just as David Beckham, his favourite follower on social media, insured his legs for £100 million and Aussie cricket legend Merv Hughes even applied a £200,000 warranty to protect his handlebar moustache, Littler admits he may have to insure his throwing arm.
If he plays for another 20 years and keeps raking in prize money at the same rate as his first season on the Professional Darts Corporation circuit, the teenage world champion would be looking to protect potential earnings north of £30 million.
Littler admitted: “I’ve not got any insurance as yet, but we are in a profession where anything can happen and when you are playing in one competition to win £1 million, it’s going to be a different scenario.
“At the moment I just play in each tournament, and take it round-by-round, but when the money at stake goes up you know it’s a serious business.”
On Thursday night at Manchester’s AO Arena, Luke the Nuke will be afforded a hero’s welcome by a sell-out ‘home’ crowd as the BetMGM Premier League leader looks to extend his lead at the top of the table. All tickets were snapped up six months ago, and Littler – greeted with pantomime villain boos in Berlin and Newcastle in the last two Thursday night conventions under the PDC circus big top – can’t wait to be introduced to his public as the reigning world champion.
Lying in wait will be Gerwyn Price, the ‘Iceman’ who has beaten Littler in each of their six previous meetings, but His Nukeship insists he has no hang-ups or hidden demons about facing the fiery Welshman.
He said: “I wouldn’t say I am motivated to beat him more than anyone else. I won’t go on stage saying to myself, ‘You need to win this, you need to win this.’ I will have the same mindset – which is to win that first game and get at least another two points on the board. I know he’s got that recent record against me and he knows how to beat me, but hopefully it’s my turn. I’d love to beat him, wherever it may be.
“I’m very excited to go back to Manchester – it was very good last year, I got the win there on my debut season in the Premier League and now I am going back as the world champion. Hopefully I can try to pick up another title.”
Like every top 20 pro, Littler’s eyes lit up lats week when PDC president Barry Hearn announced steep climbs in prize money from 2026 – including the magic £1m for winning the World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Littler, who won £200,000 as runner-up to Luke Humphries 15 months ago and £500,000 as champion last January, grinned: “Every player wants to be the first winner to win the £1million – and I’m no different.
“I don’t want to put any pressure on myself but, yes, I want to go back-to-back and try to win the big money.”
TONIGHT’S GAMES: Chris Dobey v Michael van Gerwen, Nathan Aspinall v Rob Cross, Luke Littler v Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting v Luke Humphries
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