Luke Littler’s actions have been dubbed ‘unthinkable’ by rival Michael van Gerwen, who has been left shocked by the teenager’s approach. The duo are both in action at this weekend’s German Darts Trophy, with Littler on the lookout for his second European Tour title of the year.

Even at 18 years old, Littler is no stranger to a tournament win, but had the Nuke not pulled out of several events already in his fledgling career, he could’ve had many more to his name. Instead, Littler’s team have taken the decision to carefully manage his schedule in an attempt to avoid burnout.

As the reigning world and Premier League champion, it appears to be working a treat, but it’s still raised eyebrows within the darting world, not least from Van Gerwen. Stunned by how often Littler dips out of European Tour and Players Championship events, the three-time world champion told HLN.be: “He’s a phenomenon, no doubt. But I find it surprising that he already shows some reluctance about going to tournaments. That would’ve been unthinkable for me at his age.”

Unlike most players of Littler’s age, though, the Warrington-based starlet doesn’t need to put the hard yards in on the circuit because he’s already accumulated enough prize money to put him second in the world rankings. Instead, Littler has afforded himself the luxury to stay fresh for when it really matters and according to Van Gerwen, the reigning world champion isn’t going to go away any time soon.

When asked if Littler is just a flash in the pan, he replied: “No, he’s too talented for that. He’s not a flash in the pan. But even though he throws brilliantly in the Premier League, he still loses early on the Pro Tour sometimes. Maybe that frustrates him, but you can’t see it. Me? The steam would be coming out of my ears!”

Van Gerwen, who has struggled in recent match-ups against Littler, including the Alexandra Palace showdown in January, believes he will get the measure of the teen soon. He continued: “I don’t see it that way. I don’t mind if others do—I’m a big boy. If you can dish it out, you have to be able to take it. The key is staying sharp myself.

“It happens too often now. Back in the day, you’d really look forward to, say, Van Gerwen vs Taylor. Now, if someone tells me I’ve lost to someone four times in a row? There are thirty more matches coming up this year. You get it?”