Sixteen-year-old Luke Littler exploded onto the scene with an incredible run to the final of the World Darts Championship and Ronnie O'Sullivan - who enjoyed a similar meteoric rise when he won the UK Championship aged just 17 - doesn't want to see Littler make the same mistakes he did
Tuesday 9 January 2024 14:09, UK
Ronnie O'Sullivan has been watching the rise of darts sensation Luke Littler with great interest and has a key piece of advice for the prodigious teenager.
O'Sullivan, considered by many to be the world's greatest-ever snooker player after exploding onto the scene as a teenager himself, has told Littler he has to get a Sir Alex Ferguson-type figure around him.
'The Rocket' has struggled with his demons throughout his career, especially when he was younger, and doesn't want to see things go the same way for the World Darts Championship finalist.
O'Sullivan acknowledged the young player's success, drawing comparisons to his own early victories, such as winning the UK Championship at 17 years old.
Over three decades on from that triumph, O'Sullivan reflected on his own journey and admits he might have chosen a different path to navigate the pressures of fame at a young age.
"I think if I had my time again, I'd probably take the [Stephen] Hendry route and just be always around an Alex Ferguson-type figure," said O'Sullivan. "I'd definitely choose to do things differently.
"So, [I'd say to Littler] just keep your feet on the ground if you can and just keep good people around."
O'Sullivan is fresh from a riveting first-round match at the Masters where he secured a 6-3 victory over Ding Junhui, despite the Chinese player's remarkable 147 break.
"It's a nice feeling when you do a 147. It is really nice. So yeah, Ding must be really happy with himself," O'Sullivan said. "I don't know what to say about it all, to be honest. Just pleased to get a win and look forward to being in the next round."
O'Sullivan was pensive when it came to responding to a question about what the future holds for him and gave typically enigmatic and somewhat laissez-faire response.
He said: "I don't even know. Again, it's sort of, I would really love to give you some real, lovely answers, but I don't know. I really haven't got a clue to be honest."
Premier League Darts returns to Sky Sports on Thursday, February 1 as Cardiff kicks off the 17-week extravaganza all the way through to the Play-Offs on Thursday, May 23. Stream Sky Sports Darts without a contract through NOW
