Minister for Power Phil Taylor tipped Luke Littler to average 120 in a major final on the day he became king of the lobby in Parliament.
In a departure from his normal incarnation as a 16-times world champion and an unassailable place in darts history, Taylor is now a standard-bearer for net-zero and energy efficiency.
On the House of Commons terrace, he was front man for a presentation by Derby-based Blind Screen co-founders Lenny Reynolds and Paul Cheetham to Under Secretary of State for Energy, Miatta Fahnbulleh, to promote heat-saving thermal window blinds.
Scientists believe they can reduce household fuel bills by up to 15 per cent, and Taylor joked: “After all these years of trying to turn up the ‘Power’ on the oche, now I’m trying to get the country to turn the power down.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d find myself at the Houses of Parliament, rubbing shoulders with MPs and asking them for help with bringing down the cost of heating our homes.
“I was a bit cross when the winter fuel allowance was scrapped. I can get by without it, but I know people back home in Stoke who have struggled to keep warm this winter.”
Taylor, who will be 65 in August, may be revelling in his alter-ego as a consumer champion, but he remains in awe of PDC world champion Littler’s rampage through the record books.
Luke the Nuke destroyed James Wade 11-2 in the UK open final, and the greatest marksman of all time said: “I called in to see Luke the other day and, apart from all his trophies, you would never know he was a darts player.
“He is so down to earth, such a nice kid, that if he remembers to live a boring life for the next 20 years – steer clear of nightclubs, booze, fast cars and all the normal vices for an 18-year-old – the sky’s the limit for him.
“If he is prepared to make those sacrifices and live like a monk, he could break all sorts of records. He’s still a teenager but he’s already won five major titles.
“The day is coming when the champion will pick up £1 million for winning the world title at Alexandra Palace, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we see him averaging 120 in a major final. He really is that good.
“At the moment, I can only see one of the Lukes – Litlter or Humphries – winning the Premier League because over 16 weeks, the cream rises to the top and they are the best players.
“Watching the professionals now, the only time you beat the Lukes is by playing out of your skin and hope that they miss a few doubles.
“What I like about Littler is that the kid is fearless. He doesn’t care who he’s playing, he’ll take you on.
“And until that fear factor goes, the others will struggle to live with him. Look at Manchester United – visiting teams used to be beaten before they set foot in Old Trafford, but now they are not scared of United any more.
“I think the biggest threat to Luke will be the next generation, the youngsters coming through who have been inspired by him. The old brigade will have to look after their money, bank it, pay their taxes and take every opportunity that comes along – because it’s only going to get tougher.”
*Phil Taylor was speaking at a parliamentary reception Blind Screen: Sustainability Path To Net Zero. For more details visit www.blindscreen.co.uk
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.