JONNY CLAYTON was one of the two players to stop Luke Littler winning in major darts tournaments last year and he thinks it will sting his rival for a while yet.
Littler, 19, took home six of the eight televised PDC ranked events, only missing out on the World Masters and European Championship.
The Nuke was beaten by Clayton, 51, in the quarter finals 12 months ago and is now out for revenge.
Clayton believes that Littler won’t forget their match as the pair prepare to get started later this week in Milton Keynes.
He told Sky Sports: “I must have upset him, I think, when I beat him!
“When he writes his book in years to come, it will say he lost against me the first time we met each other on the stage!”
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Littler had got one over Clayton five months earlier at the Players Championship in 2024 but lost out when the Masters rolled around.
Now he enters the tournament as a two-time world champ and ranked No1 for a reason.
Clayton continued: “You can ask any player and we’re all going to answer the same – he is just fantastic.
“He’s got everything – I think if he played blindfolded, he’d be a tough man to beat!
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“He’s a good kid and he’s a good character for the game of darts.
“And with the way he plays, what more do you want?
“You’re going to enjoy watching Littler play darts.
“He uses all the board. I know people say: ‘Oh, his favourite double is this.’
“But I think he’d just hit any double for fun.
“What Luke went on to achieve in 2025…it’s only Phil Taylor and Michael Van Gerwen [that have had years like that].
“Humphries is also fantastic and has won multiple, multiple majors, so those are the four names that come straight to mind that have done what they have done in the PDC.”
