Luke Littler has been told not to think he is 'the big man' after a barnstorming start to his darts career.
Nathan Aspinall is confident the teenager will be able to deal with his new-found game but admits it can have an 'effect'.
Littler became a household name with his run to the final of the World Darts Championship final this year at the age of 16.
He lost to Luke Humphries but won his next tournament at the Bahrain Masters, beating Michael van Gerwen to claim that crown.
Luke Littler has been warned not to think he is darts' 'big man'
PA
He hit a nine-darter in the first leg of his quarter-final against Aspinall.
The pair have known each other for years and have the same management team.
Aspinall admits even he was surprised with how well Littler did at Alexandra Palace.
He told Planet Sport: "I’ve known Luke many years, I’ve practised with Luke, he is absolutely a phenomenal talent.
"I practised with him before the World Championship, so I knew he was playing well.
"But the way he handled himself, he exceeded my expectations. He’s a fantastic player, a lovely kid."
Aspinall is in no doubt that Littler will be able to cope with the demands of being on the professional tour.
However, he has warned him of the 'other stuff' that could distract him.
Littler received huge media attention at his maiden World Championship and that continued in Bahrain last week.
Aspinall added: "I think he can handle the darts. I think it’s the other stuff that may have an effect on him.
"At the end of the day, he’s just a kid playing darts, he doesn’t care about the money, he just loves playing darts.
"I think playing darts every single day won’t affect him. I think the travelling and the media could have a bit of an impact on him.
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Nathan Aspinall is confident Luke Littler will cope with the rigours of the tour
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"But I’m confident. He’s got the same manager as me. We’ve got a fantastic management team around us.
"As long as he doesn’t get ahead of himself and think he’s the ‘big man’ which I don’t think he will because he’s not that type of guy. I think he’ll be fine."
Littler will begin his first Premier League campaign on February 1, with Aspinall also on the line-up.
Aspinall says the 17-year-old will 'burn out' but says that is usual for any darts player.
He said: "Will he get burned out? Yes. But every single player that plays in the Premier League and World Series gets burned out.
Luke Littler reached the final in his maiden World Darts Championship
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"Because it’s so demanding. He will be fine, he will cope with the darts. He will deal with the press in his own way.
"He will get burned out, but he just has to learn to manage his calendar.
"Unfortunately for Luke, because he’s just started on the Tour, he has to play in everything to get his ranking up.
"But he’s got a great team, he shouldn’t really get tired. He’s not 32 like us with kids to look after when he gets home."
