Luke Littler has openly admitted to being "always late" after facing criticism from darts legend Michael van Gerwen over his poor timekeeping.
The 18-year-old darts sensation made the candid confession in a Sky Sports Darts YouTube video, responding to recent controversy over his tardiness at Premier League events.
The admission comes after Van Gerwen publicly called out the teenage star for arriving 45 minutes late to media duties at a recent tournament.
Rather than defending himself, Littler has embraced the critique with characteristic humour, acknowledging his reputation for poor punctuality.
Luke Littler peeved Michael van Gerwen by turning up late to a media event
PA
Van Gerwen's frustration boiled over when reporters asked about Littler's 25-minute delay at a Premier League event in Belfast.
"45 minutes late, you mean," the Dutchman corrected sharply. "They need to stop treating him as a baby, yeah? He's not a baby anymore. He's 18 years old now."
The Green Machine emphasised the professional nature of the sport, expressing particular concern about keeping others waiting.
"If he turns up late for an interview, I don't really mind, but now seven other people are waiting for him. That's not really nice, is it?" Van Gerwen added.
In the Sky Sports Darts YouTube video, fellow professionals Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall didn't hesitate to name Littler when asked who was most frequently late on the PDC tour.
The teenage star took the criticism in his stride, laughing as he confirmed their assessment.
"Person that's always late? Me," Littler chuckled in response to the question.
The rivalry between Littler and Van Gerwen has played out dramatically on the oche in recent weeks.
LATEST SPORT NEWS:
Luke Littler beat Michael van Gerwen en route to winning the second night of the Premier League
PA
Their first Premier League encounter in Belfast saw Van Gerwen edge a thrilling quarter-final 6-5, despite Littler posting an impressive 113.91 average.
However, Littler got his revenge in Glasgow last week with a commanding 6-2 victory over the Dutchman in their semi-final clash.
The teenage star went on to complete a remarkable night in Scotland, having earlier recovered from 5-1 down against Rob Cross before defeating Luke Humphries 6-5 in the final.
