‘Best in the world’ – Luke Littler gives new assessment of himself after Newcastle win but names rival he hasn’t scared

LUKE Littler reckons he might start accepting that he's “the best in the world” after his fourth nightly win in the Premier League.

The Nuke thumped the actual world No.1 Luke Humphries 6-1 in the Night 8 final in Newcastle.

Littler – who claimed to No 2 in the rankings after becoming world champion in January – spoke afterwards about developing a fear factoramong the other players.

But the 18-year-old quickly admitted that Gerwyn Price was not one of those fearful.

When asked if players are starting to overthink facing him, Littler said: “As a player, you shouldn’t be doing that, you should always be playing against the board.

“But I’m playing too well for them not to be playing against the board as well as me.

“I’ve got a few of them, just not Gezzy (Price)!”

No matter how well the teenager is playing, hoodoo strikes when the Welshman squares up to him.

Littler has failed to beat Price in their last SIX matches.

But luckily for him, Price was knocked out in the quarter-finals in Tyneside after losing 6-2 to Rob Cross.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

Littler began the night averaging 109.98 in his 6-0 win over Stephen Bunting.

He followed that up with a 6-3 success over Cross in the semi-finals before smashing Humphries and changing his throw mid final.

Littler moved eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table and was so dominant that not a single one of his matches lasted over 15 minutes.

And the world champion coyly admitted that he might be the world's best.

The teen said: “I think that goes to show how everyone does say I'm the best in the world at the minute.

“But you know me I'll never really say I'm the best in the world but I'm performing better than these guys so maybe I should be saying I'm best in the world.

“For myself when I'm playing certain players I know when I've got them and it goes to show.

“Humphries shows a bit too much and as a player you're like he's at 60 or 41 and he's not happy about it then his next throw he is the same score so you just have to pounce.”

Meanwhile, the Nuke roared past 100 Premier League maximums in just eight weeks amid another landmark night.

He also reached his century of 180s twice as fast as any of his seven Prem rivals.

The Manchester Unitedsupporter was alsobooed by by the crowdas he strode out to theoche at Newcastle‘sUtilita Arena.

One reason might be that local ladChris Dobey, one of the eight Prem competitors, is a big darts favourite on Tyneside.

WhileNewcastle UnitedstarsDan Burn,Kieran Trippier,Harvey BarnesandMatt Targettwere all in the crowd.

Next week's Premier League Darts action goes to Berlin.