Why Luke Littler is ineligible to play for England at World Cup of Darts even if he wins Premier League due to PDC rule
LUKE LITTLER will not be eligible to represent England at the World Cup of Darts despite his rapid rise to stardom.
The 17-year-old broke onto the scene at the World Championships in December and has since become a household name.
He topped the Premier League Darts table at the first time of asking and is now set to compete in the Play-Offs.
But even if he wins, Littler will not be able to play for England at the World Cup of Darts.
That’s because the two highest-ranked English players in the PDC Order of Merit are picked.
Littler is currently 25th in the Order of Merit, whereas Luke Humphries and Michael Smith are ranked first and second respectively.
That means Humphries and Smith are in line to represent England, even if they miss out on the Premier League Darts title.
Littler faces Smith in the first of two Play-Off semi-finals on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Humphries takes on Michael van Gerwen in the second.
Discussing his run to the final, Littler said: “Well, they said I wasn’t ready – now look where I am.
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“I haven’t got the job done yet. But I have topped the table on debut as a 17-year-old. That’s all I have got to say for now.
“If I do go all the way, then there will be a big message for all those who doubted me.
“I’ve learned a lot, especially about the travelling and playing week-in week-out.
“I’ve got the hang of it. I know what to expect from all these players.
“It would mean a lot to win on debut, win my first major, but I have to get past Smithy first.
“I’ve been thinking to myself: Try to win when it matters. On Thursday night it matters a lot.”
Inside Littler's massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship.
The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way.
He has since joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE.
The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire.
He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle.
And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal.
Check out all of our Luke Littler stories here.