Adrian Lewis believes Luke Littler already belongs among darts' all-time elite, declaring the teenage sensation is "definitely in the top four" of the sport's greatest players. Speaking to Oche180, the two-time world champion was effusive in his praise of the 19-year-old, whose domination he described as reaching unprecedented levels.
"He's come onto the scene. First off, I'd have to say what a breath of fresh air he's been. I think for him to come in and do what he's done, I don't think there's anybody else in the world who could have done that," Lewis said. "I just think he's been brilliant, hasn't he? Like I say, I can't really speak highly enough of him." Reflecting on Littler's World Matchplay display, where he averaged 111.04 for the entire tournament in Blackpool, Lewis added: "He's definitely in the top four, isn't he? Top four or five, yeah, definitely. Probably even higher than that, really. Top three, maybe. His averages and the scoring power he's got are unmatched. There are only really a few players who are keeping up with him on a consistent basis. Everybody else is in and out. They can beat him on the floor, but then when it gets to the biggest stages and the TV events, they fold like deck chairs."
Lewis also credited Littler's support network, recalling their first meeting through Target before Littler had won the Worlds. "I can remember saying to my wife, 'He's got a good arm and shoulders, that lad there.' But obviously, I didn't know to what extent he would go on to achieve what he's done now," he said. "I think his family as well. I think that's important. And now with Gary looking after him as well, he's also been around for years and has got all that experience. He's in great hands. He's playing the best out of anybody. There's nobody even really coming close to him at the minute, which is probably a scary thought considering he's only, what, 19? And I think there's still a lot more to come from him. I really do. I think he can improve."
On his own future, Lewis confirmed his PDC Tour hiatus looks set to continue, revealing he is leaning against challenging for a Tour Card at Q-School in January. "I've fully-fledged the commitment. I think what I want to do at the minute is just build myself back up," he stated. "I don't think I'd go back, even if I could go back and get my Tour Card. I don't really want that this time. What I'd rather do is build myself back up, do the Challenge Tour and just work my way back into the competition side of things again first. Just enjoy it. Make sure you enjoy it, because I don't want to get a Tour Card and then, in six months' time, think, 'Oh, I regret my decision.'"
Lewis, 41, opened up on the reasons behind walking away from the PDC Tour in 2023, citing family and mental health. "There were a number of things, really. For one, I needed a break mentally. That was important to me," he said. "As people know, my wife's got an incurable kidney disease, so we were spending a lot of time in hospital. My daughter's got a number of things, including ADHD, autism and high-level needs. Because I was away five or six days a week, I really couldn't be there as much as I wanted to. Sometimes you think, 'What am I doing here?' That was after the battle as well. I thought, 'I need a break,' and then we'd just reset, hit the reset button and push on from there, really." He added: "It was a tough decision, but I knew at the time, mentally, that I needed that break. The results, to be fair, had been good. A couple of months before I even stepped away, I'd won a Pro Tour event. That's no easy feat. It wasn't like my form was bad or anything like that."
Lewis also recounted a remarkable nine-darter he threw using Nathan Aspinall's darts. "Basically, I was probably about three weeks off, and we went on holiday for a week. I came back and my dad had left his darts in my dartboard, so I thought, 'What the hell?' I'm so glad he got them. I think I threw a 41, maybe a 45 next, and then I went 180, 180, treble 20, treble 19 and double 12. I couldn't believe it myself, to be honest," he said, though he downplayed the feat: "I think it's more luck than judgement, to be fair, but yeah, I just whacked them in."
He also revisited his infamous 2006 PDC World Darts Championship spat with Peter Manley, when he stormed off stage. "He'd obviously given me a lot of grief backstage and everything else, like Pete does anyway," Lewis divulged. "But when we were up there, every time I was throwing, I could hear him muttering things and saying stuff. I just got to the point where I thought, 'Why does he keep doing that?' I gave him a couple of dirty looks at first, and then he carried on. I thought, 'Oh, that's it.' I turned around, and we were having a full-on row. I just told him to shut up or take a breather, and then I walked off the stage." Looking back, he admitted: "Yeah, I just walked off. It's embarrassing when you're looking back."
