Phil Taylor has called on the PDC to pick Luke Littler as one of the eight players to feature in this year's Premier League, no matter what happens in the World Darts Championship final.
Littler will already be competing on the PDC Tour in 2024 after he won the Junior World Championship before the main event at Alexandra Palace.
But his sensational run to the final of the World Darts Championship has led to questions on whether he will be picked to compete in the Premier League for 2024.
The lucrative invitational event features the four top-ranked players on the Order or Merit as well as four other picks with the winner taking home £275,000 in prize money.
Phil Taylor wants Luke Littler to play in the Premier League
PA
Playing in the Premier League adds 16 more nights to the darts star's schedule for the year and some have warned that might be too much for Littler in his first year as a professional.
Dennis Priestley, who beat Taylor in the first ever PDC World Darts Championship final back in 1994, would like to see Littler skip playing in the Premier League this year out of fear the teenager could suffer from burnout.
He told Boyle Sports: "Obviously, it's a certainty that the PDC will want Luke in the Premier League, but if I was his manager, I'd wait another year.
"I've played in it myself and the schedule is so hectic.
"You travel to the venue on Wednesday, play on Thursday, then they want you on tour on the Friday.
"It's consistent and it won't do him any good. I think Luke would take the offer, obviously.
"But in the long run, he'd be better off turning it down for a year or so."
But 14-time champion Taylor, who took his revenge on Priestley in four World Championship finals, doesn't share the same views as his former foe.
Luke Littler is playing for £500,000
PA
Taylor said: “Luke Littler for the Premier League is a no-brainer – why wouldn’t you pick a lad who is good enough to win it?
“It’s an invitational tournament where the top four in the rankings are handed their places on merit and the other four are picked by the PDC and Sky Sports based on what they bring to the party.
“The whole world is talking about this kid, so why would Sky turn up their noses at a sure-fire ratings winner?
LATEST SPORT NEWS:
Luke Littler will find out on Thursday if he makes it
PA
“Just imagine the opening Premier League night in Cardiff next month, Gerwyn Price against Luke Littler – a lot of people would pay good money to see that, and you can count me among them.
“There are probably people who think it’s too early to throw him into a 17-week competition with all the travel and hotels.
“Really? I think he’d love it. All the travel won’t bother him because he’s so young, and playing in front of big crowds every week will be right up his street.”
