Reasons why Luke Littler struggled at World Matchplay against Michael van Gerwen full details below

Reasons why Luke Littler struggled at World Matchplay against Michael van Gerwen full details below 👇 👇

Kim Huybrechts has become the latest darts star to raise doubts about how Luke Littler will respond to disappointment in the early stages of his career.

The teen has enjoyed a sensational breakout year to become a household name in a matter of months and expand the sport’s reach, particularly within the United Kingdom.

After ending as runner-up at the World Championship, Littler has won the Austrian Darts Open, Belgian Darts Open, Bahrain Darts Masters, Poland Darts Masters and the Wigan leg of the Players Championship, as well as taking the Premier League top prize.

The Nuke’s debut season is hard to compare to many stars in years gone by, though some of his more experienced rivals are still waiting to see how Littler’s resolve is tested when he’s faced with adversity.

Littler was recently knocked out of World Matchplay in the first round by Michael van Gerwen and has faced some off-stage drama, splitting from his girlfriend and calling for his supporters to stop sending her abuse online.

Belgian star Huybrechts believes that periods, such as the run of form Littler is enduring currently, will show whether the 17-year-old has the true makings of a world-class player who can enjoy a long spell at the top.

He told the Double Top podcast: “When you get various hateful comments on social media in private situations, it’s just particularly sad. Nowadays you can’t do good for anyone on social media, I’ve experienced that myself many times.

“If you win, your opponent’s fans are angry with you and if you lose you get threats from gamblers who are angry because they lost money. Somehow, of course, you have to learn to deal with that.

“But when you’re in a slump nobody likes to read what a jellyfish you are. I always give the advice not to read too much on social media, but somewhere you always get something from it.”

“He’s been on cloud nine for a while, a lot of people thought this would end sooner, me too by the way.

“For now, he is still on that cloud, but one day that bubble will be burst and then we are going to see the real Littler. He is going to experience a lot of ups and downs in his career anyway, so it remains to be seen how he is going to deal with that.”