Image source, PA MediaImage caption, Luke Littler has made the final in all three of his Premier League campaigns
ByCharlotte CoatesBBC Sport journalist at The O2- Published36 minutes ago
With the Premier League trophy high above his head once again on The O2 stage, Luke Littler broke down in tears.
The 19-year-old was in disbelief at regaining the crown in one of the all-time great finals with Luke Humphries because he came close to quitting the invitational event.
The two-time champion and world number one has endured a tumultuous third Premier League campaign with on-stage arguments and boos from the thousands in attendance.
Speaking after his 11-10 victory, he told Sky Sports: "After Brighton [in week 10], I think I came off stage and the incident in Manchester [argument with Gian van Veen], I was sat at home saying to Faith [his partner], 'I don't want to do it anymore, just the crowd every week'.
"I said to her, 'I'm down bad'."
Week nine in Manchester is where the atmosphere in the crowd started to turn against Littler.
After a missed match dart by Van Veen, the pair exchanged a frosty handshake and the Dutchman said Littler "was out of order" at what he perceived to be a celebration at the miss.
Littler also gestured that Van Veen was a "cry baby" and the pair did not speak for multiple weeks.
After Manchester came Brighton, where Littler was dumped out at the quarter-final stage by Stephen Bunting with a measly 84 average.
And then came Rotterdam - where fans were behind one of their own in Van Veen - before events in Liverpool and Leeds where Littler has been routinely booed because of his support of Manchester United.
The teenager called the Rotterdam reception the "worst I have experienced" and that his mindset was now to "just expect the worst".
On Wednesday, at the pre-finals night media event, Littler said the fans were "fickle" for mixing booing and cheering.
Just over 24 hours later, Littler was loudly cheered by the O2 crowd after breaking down twice during his on-stage TV interview.
Speaking later in a news conference, Littler, who won £410,000 in prize money, hoped his release of emotions would be a "turning point" in his relationship with the crowd.
He said: "I'm not asking for sympathy - I just told the world how I was feeling during the Premier League. The biggest outcome is next to me [the trophy].
"From the Brighton game, the Manchester game, I've proved everyone wrong once again and I can't believe it."
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'It's not a rarity for the Premier League to become too much'
For the third year in a row, Littler finished top of the Premier League standings.
He went on to reach the final for the third consecutive year and has won the title in two of them.
He set a new record for night wins in the league phase in 2025 and matched that tally of six in 2026.
Despite that, Littler said he felt like he did not want to "go to the next Premier League night".
He added: "Tonight was one of those wins where I had to get it done. Even sat at home, I didn't want to go out. I didn't want to go to the next Premier League night but we've done it.
"We've all got feelings, not just as dart players, we're humans. I can't believe I've won."
The current Premier League format lasts 17 weeks if you reach finals night and sees players travel across the UK, Republic of Ireland and Europe to play every Thursday during the league phase.
The event only features eight players - the world's four top-ranked players and four players who are invited by the Professional Darts Corporation - and runs alongside ProTour events.
Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle highlighted how former world champions Gerwyn Price and Phil Taylor have felt a similar strain to Littler in the past.
He said: "It is not a rarity for the Premier League to become too much. Week after week, it is an endurance test.
"Sometimes you can feel down and if you feel down, you become mentally weaker.
"We know how strong Luke Littler is mentally but when you are feeling like you're public enemy number one, you can feel like you don't want to turn up, but he did turn up and this is now the by-product of turning up."
Despite coming close to leaving the competition, Littler's dominance in the sport continues to grow.
His victory means he has added the Premier League to his World Championship title, World Masters and UK Open successes this year.
Littler holds seven of the eight ranking titles that the Professional Darts Corporation have, plus the Premier League.
"There is a point in everyone's career when they are at their peak - we don't know if this is his peak but we know this is peak level because Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor's peak was this kind of standard," added Mardle.
"We're assuming he must be near his peak and it is good enough time and time again. There are no weaknesses really."
Among the next things for Littler to tick off is glory alongside Luke Humphries for England in June's World Cup of Darts.
If the pair play anything like they did in London on Thursday night, you wouldn't bet against them.
