Peter Manley admits Luke Littler gives him 'horrible feeling' after latest win
Luke Littler won the World Series of Darts Finals against Michael Smith in Amsterdam, defeating Michael van Gerwen along the way.
Peter Manley admitted that Luke Littler's astonishing 180 hitting has given him a "horrible feeling". Manley made the comments after Littler wrapped up his latest tournament victory over the weekend.
Littler won the eighth title of his debut season as he clinches the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, defeating Michael Smith 11-4 to claim the trophy. The 17-year-old prodigy saw off Ross Smith, Raymond van Barneveld, Chris Dobey and Michael van Gerwen to reach the final - hitting 34 180s over the five matches.
The teenager's relentless hammering of the T20 bed as Manley worried. He took to social media to say how he believes Littler has hit more 180s this year than the 62-year-old has in his entire career.
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Writing on X, Manley said: "I’ve got a horrible feeling that since January 2024, Luke Littler has hit more 180’s than I had in my career. #scarey."
According to the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), Littler had hit a whopping 513 180s in 2024 before this most recent competition, putting him 18th for the most 180s in a calendar year. Currently, Michael Smith holds the record with 714 180s hit in 2022, with Peter Wright in second (679) and Luke Humphries in third (634).
Littler is also the fastest player ever to hit over 500 180s in one season - with his 34 in the World Series of Darts Finals adding to his new total of 547. This means he is now just 29 behind Scottish darts star Gary Anderson (576), with plenty of tournaments still left in the year.
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The Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals, the Grand Slam, World Grand Prix and the World Championship are all still to come – giving Littler ample opportunity to snatch yet another record. With the teen sensation showing no signs of slowing down, there's every chance he could nick Smith's achievement, just like he did with the World Series of Darts trophy.
Speaking after the win, Littler said: "I'm just happy to be stood here with the trophy at the end of a long day. I felt relaxed tonight and I played really well across the whole weekend.
"This time last year I was playing on the Development Tour. My name was getting mentioned but at the World Championship every knew who I was. I'm going to keep building on this and winning more. It's a busy schedule coming up and I'm ready for it."
