Luke Littler divides fans after asking crowd if he should go for 170 checkout

Luke Littler has divided fans after asking the crowd if he should go for a 170 checkout.

The 16-year-old darts champion was on for a 170 check out after coming from 2-0 down with a chance to win the first set.

After nailing two treble twenties to put him on for bull, he remarkably turned to the crowd asking them if he should go for it.

Have a look:

"He’s asking them. Luke it’s not a committee" echoed over comms as the camera panned to a visibly annoyed Brendan Dolan.

Littler’s confidence paid off in the end after missing the bull, as he put away 39 to lead 3-2 and win the first set of the quarter final.

Darts fans have since rushed to social media to debate whether the situation was a matter of 'disrespect' or whether it was just simply the teenager being an 'entertainer'.

One X, formerly Twitter, user hit out: "Unbelievable disrespect from Littler there. That’s a horrible trait."

"Small bit of disrespect there from Littler? Dolan didn’t look too happy heading off stage," penned a second.

A third branded Littler as 'cocky' before declaring: "Asking the crowd will he go for the Bull on a 170 finish Total disrespect for his opponent."

Others, however, weren't at all bothered by the darts champion's actions, with one writing: "Sport is about characters & this kid's an entertainer."

"Littler is a proper entertainer im here for it," echoed a second, while a third quipped: "Littler is an ENTERTAINER too he’s built for this!"

PDC

Someone else added: "Luke Littler natural born entertainer!"

A final user echoed: "He is an entertainer isn't he, Littler?"

At the time of writing, he leads 4-0 in the quarter final, in the first to five sets contest.

Previously explaining his love of the sport, Littler told Sky News: "There’s a video on YouTube on me when I was 18 months in a nappy listening to Raymond van Barneveld’s music, Phil Taylor’s music, doing their celebrations.

"That’s where it started, at 18 months old in the nappy on a magnetic board.

"Then at four or five on a proper board, but it was a bit low. Seven to eight, that’s when I started playing the proper height and length."

Since then, some 15 years later, Littler has gone on to become a sensation in the Paddy Power World Championship - with incredible wins over the likes of Dutch professional Christian Kist and the UK Open champion Andrew Gilding.

And the PDC World Youth Champion has performed so well up against more experienced players - cementing the teen as one of the favourites to win the tournament.

Topics: Celebrity, News, Sport, Luke Littler

Rhiannon Ingle

Rhiannon Ingle is a Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from the University of Manchester in 2021 in English Literature. Alongside her studies, she was the Lifestyle Editor of The Mancunian, the largest student newspaper in the United Kingdom. Her favourite topics to write about include sex and relationships, bizarre lifestyle trends and all things travel.