LUKE LITTLER has shown off his new haircut as he prepares for the European Championship this weekend.
The darts sensation marked the start of the tournament in Germany by getting a new trim.
The 18-year-old is gearing up for a hostile reception when he plays Raymond van Barneveld in the first round on Friday night.
Littler is often given stick by fans when he plays in German tournaments and said last year he would boycott tournaments in the country after a disastrous World Cup of Darts display that saw him jeered.
But the teenager is ready to end his boycott and embrace the tense atmosphere as he shared a picture of his new look with fans.
In a story post on Instagram, Littler was filmed by his barber sitting in the chair with a high skin fade looking focused ahead of a big weekend.
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Littler can become world No 1 if he wins the Championship, propelling him above rival Luke Humphries.
He could also become No 1 if he doesn’t win the title but goes further in the tournament than Humphries, depending on results.
There is a £120,000 prize pot up for grabs if Littler emerges victorious this weekend and he should be in a confident mood after winning the World Grand Prix this month.
That saw him demolish Humphries 6-1 in the final and he later said he wouldn’t consider himself the best in the world until he leapfrogged his rival in the PDC rankings.
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He said after the victory: “This is my time and I’ve just got to keep going. Obviously, until I get that world number one spot, I will never call myself the best in the world.
“Whoever’s number one, they’re the best. But knowing I’m only £70,000 in prize money behind Luke, and then he’s got to defend all of his prize money from the Grand Prix, the Players Championships and the World Championship.
“I don’t want to think about it too much, but I could be world number one before that World Championship.
“I’ve just got to keep chucking away and put as much pressure as I can on Luke.”
His upcoming opponent Van Barneveld, 58, insisted he was “not scared” of his rival, though he admitted Littler had more “energy” and “focus”.
“I’m 58 years old playing against an 18-year-old that’s full of energy and I’m like an old dog,” Van Barneveld said.
“Like a younger dog, they want to play. They’re exciting. But an older dog is like, ‘guys, leave me alone’. And that’s a bit harder at the moment.
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“I don’t have the 100 per cent focus I used to have for all these years because you grow older. Your muscles are different, we spoke about my diabetes, that’s still not right.
“If I can beat the current world champion, the world No 2, that would be a massive result, of course.”
