NATHAN ASPINALL has revealed he knew Luke Littler was destined for the top of darts after an argument with his dad.
Aspinall, 32, has struck up a strong friendship with the 17-year-old darts phenomenon.
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Littler made waves in the sport when he burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old when he reached the Darts World Championship final earlier this year.
Since then he has impressed in the Euro Tour and Darts Premier League.
But World No4 Aspinall recalled how his first meeting with a 12-year-old Littler convinced him the Warrington wonder would make it as a pro.
Speaking on MEN’s Manchester is Red podcast in April, the Asp said: “The first time I came across Luke, I think it was in Chester in a tournament and I beat him 4-3.
“I think he was aged four! No, he was around 12 and wow, I just thought ‘who is the kid? ‘.
“I remember seeing his dad with him and he was dead critical of him because he’d lost.
“I was thinking mate, he’s 12, and I was in the top 16 in the world at that time and I said ‘give him a break’.
“His dad said ‘no, he needs to learn’ and that hard talk over the years has probably produced one of the best players in our sport. He’s amazing and what else can you say?”
Dad Anthony Buckley and mum Lisa Littler are the Nuke’s biggest fans and will be delighted to see how far he has come.
Littler’s rise has seen him land a string of commercial deals, including with boohooMAN, Target and Sidemen cereal which have seen him recognised on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.
Inside Littler’s massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship.
Aspinall added: “We’re all sick of seeing his face on social media and that’s a credit to him, it’s not just the media who are obsessed with him, he’s bringing them to him.
“He had an amazing run at the Worlds, then hit a nine-darter against me in Bahrain, then he won a tournament, then he won the first Pro Tour and Euro Tour, so that’s full credit to him.
“Obviously, we’ve practised together in the past and generally I would get the better of him, but since the Worlds, he’s a completely different animal.”
Manchester United fan Aspinall was recently seen enjoying a trip to Las Vegas, USA with Michael Smith and wife Kirsty.
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