Darts spotter Colin Lloyd has revealed it is 'horrendous' to work on a match Luke Littler is playing in.
Former player Lloyd is one of the lesser-known experts who are integral to ensuring darts coverage goes smoothly on live TV.
The role of a spotter is to make sure the camera is zoomed in on the part of the board that the player is set to target.
They speak directly to the director and camera operators throughout a match in order for fans watching to keep up with the action.
Luke Littler has made life tough for darts spotters on TV
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Littler may have only been on the professional scene for a matter of weeks but he has already become known for his unorthodox scoring methods.
And Lloyd admits it makes his job even more difficult, telling the Daily Star: "Er, horrendous.
"Luke’s got his own fandangled way of going, very much like Simon Whitlock and Rob Cross. They’ve all got their own ways going and it’s just a matter of picking up on them.
"When someone’s gone for a shot in a match and you’ve called it and, a few legs later, he’s left the same finish, you automatically think he’s going to go that way.
"But Luke sometimes doesn’t, he’ll go the way he feels comfortable. If he wants to go a fandangled way, he’ll go that way.
"But that’s the life of being a spotter in championship darts."
Lloyd, who won two major TV titles during his playing career, believes Littler will continue to add new ways of finishing on the board.
"He will do," he added. "He’s not afraid of using the dartboard, that’s what it’s all about.
"I learnt the old-style ways because I’m of that age. But I’ve had to adapt and adjust to certain shot-outs.
"This younger generation have got their own ways of going and, nine times out 10, it comes off, so good luck to them."
Littler grabbed the attention of the nation with his run to the World Darts Championship final at the age of 16.
He has since won the first professional tournament of his career at the Bahrain Masters, while he won on his Premier League debut in Cardiff.
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Luke Littler's unorthodox finishing methods have caused issues for the likes of Lloyd
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Lloyd claims the teenager has brought nothing but positivity to the sport following years of hard work.
He said: "It’s fantastic for darts in general and it’s fantastic for Luke Littler. If you look on social media at these academies, they’re packed out now.
"And there’s no reason why, in six to 12 months, Luke Littler can’t be a millionaire. All of a sudden, a sport everyone has looked down their nose at because it came from the pubs and clubs, people are thinking it’s for them.
"Since that 12-year-old kid first got noticed, he’s worked his socks off. He’s created something for himself, it’s his hard work.
Colin Lloyd has told Luke Littler to keep up his focus in each match he plays
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"He didn’t get handed those results at the World Championship, the same as those youth events he’s won. The world’s his oyster."
However, Lloyd has warned Littler not to get carried away with his new-found fame and ensure he is focused in every match he enters.
He said: "I don’t think I need to give him any advice. I think he’s got good people around him, very loving parents and a great management team who will look after him.
"The only thing I would say to him is, ‘don’t think the hard work’s done’. Every time he steps on the oche, don’t just expect to beat people because sometimes you do have off-days."
