'I will always give it back to them' - Luke Littler preparing for hostile Premier League Darts reception in Leeds as Humphries warns world champ

Luke Littler has been having fun with the crowd during most of the 2025 Premier League Darts season, embracing the boos if and when they come and revelling in the pantomime atmosphere created. With this Thursday night's action hailing from Leeds, Littler is again expecting to be on the end of a hostile reception.

There are multiple reasons for this potential hostility. Littler is of course, a massive Manchester United fan, arch rivals with Leeds United. And, on the oche, Littler is one of the sport's two leading lights over the last couple of years alongside Luke Humphries, who conversly will be taking to the stage tonight in a special one-off Leeds United themed darts shirt.

Littler though, isnt planning to stop his playing up to the crowd. “It depends on how the fans react. I don’t want to say I have secured top spot yet," he says in quotes collected by Mirror Sport. "Like in Newcastle and Liverpool, I will always give it back to them, but I will just relax these next few weeks. I don’t have to perform to any high standard, I’m just going to cruise my way into the O2."

With a play-off place secured and a record five nightly wins already this season, it's been another impressive campaign for the reigning Premier League Darts champion. “It’s very different this time, being the world champion, there is always a target on my back, especially from last year," he says. "But I know myself I have got to perform. The money is there to be won, the nightly wins are there to be won as well and I want to become a multiple Premier League champion.”

Humphries meanwhile, whilst still almost certain to finish in the top 4, has been left waiting since February 27th in Exeter. And the world number one has sent a warning to Littler ahead of the world champion's arrival in Leeds.

“That's what happens in life - I really never had anything like that until I become world champion and world No.1, then all of a sudden you're getting it all the time. It's like nobody wants to see you succeed, and if you do, then people want to boo you," says Humphries. “I think the reason why it's been happening to Luke is because he's not the underdog anymore. When you're at the top everyone wants to see you lose. Luke just has to take on the chin and accept that this is what happens when you get to the top - it’s happened to me and it's happened to Gezzy (Price) when he was at the top.”