Littler eyes World Cup glory with Humphries as rivals insist they’re ‘beatable’

Luke Littler plans to add World Cup success with England to his growing list of achievements this weekend.

The 18-year-old will team up with Luke Humphries, who beat Littler in the Premier League final at the O2 Arena last month.

Humphries guided England to a record-breaking fifth World Cup success with Michael Smith last year and a sixth crown is being plotted in Frankfurt ahead of the tournament starting on Thursday.

“I’ve not spoke to anyone about putting the shirt on for your country, but I am sure it is one of the best feelings you’ll ever have. I’m sure me and Luke are ready for it,” Littler reflected.

If Littler is to enjoy a maiden World Cup of Darts triumph, he will have to improve his recent form in Germany.

The start of a hex can be charted back to September when Littler collapsed from a position of strength to lose to Peter Wright in the German Darts Championship final.

Boos occurred on that occasion and Littler struggled on Night Nine of the Premier League in Berlin at the start of April before three weeks later he fell short of German Grand Prix success in Munich, after which he took to social media to suggest he would skip tournaments in Germany.

Soon after however Littler clarified he had no intention of missing the World Cup.

The world No 2 added: “The only bad one last year was Hildesheim against Peter Wright. I think I was 5-2 up, lost 8-5 and obviously as soon as you’re beating the home favourite, as everyone likes to call it, that is when they don’t start to like you.

“I wouldn’t say it’s upset me but I would say I was obviously a bit angry. I wouldn’t say (during) Premier League. The biggest one is Germany, but I did what Gerwyn Price always does, go on Instagram, have a bit of a moan and take it down half an hour later.”

World Cup delight with England – with the holders set to start their campaign in the second round on Saturday – will help Littler forget about his past tricky experiences in Germany and may change his mind on whether darts should be entered into the Olympics.

“Yeah, there was a lot of talk last year on the Olympics and for myself, I don’t have a clue,” Littler admitted.

“Would it be good? Would it be bad? I’m not really an Olympics person, so I won’t sit there and watch it. I don’t know if it would be good or bad for darts. I am not sure if it would fit in as much.”

Littler, Humphries ‘strong but not unbeatable’

One half of Germany’s team, Martin Schindler, conceded tournament favourites England represented a formidable challenge but insisted they were beatable, citing the adaptation Littler and Humphries would need to make to play as a team.

“It’s a pairs tournament; you are not really prepared for that playing at the highest level mostly playing for ourselves and never as a team,” Schindler said.

“You have to get used to it, but I said that last year as well about Humphries and Smith, and they obviously won it.

“Littler and Humphries are very strong, but they are not unbeatable.”

Northern Ireland’s team, formed by Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney, enter the tournament in the second round alongside the three other ranked sides, England, Wales and Scotland.

Asked what winning the World Cup of Darts would mean to Northern Ireland, Rock told Sky Sports: “It would mean the absolute world to me and Daryl.

“Northern Ireland hasn’t really won much, in anything, so lifting that trophy would be fantastic.”

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