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Daily Mirror
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Luke Littler makes honest admission and shares private chat with manager - 'Really tough'
Luke Littler has opened up about how he copes with his exhaustive darts schedule as he basks in the glory of becoming World Matchplay champion for the first time Luke Littler has admitted that juggling his intense schedule has been one of the toughest aspects of his meteoric rise in darts. The Nuke has added another big prize to his burgeoning collection by winning the World Matchplay for the first time. Littler beat James Wade 18-13 in the final to complete darts' Triple Crown, which also includes the World Championship and the Premier League. The 18-year-old has also won the Grand Slam of Darts and the UK Open since bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old at the 2023/24 World Championship. Littler has already completed two Premier League campaigns - winning one and reaching the final in the other - which puts huge demands on the players involved, as nights often precede European Tour events. To ease his workload, the teenager skips the occasional tournament. 'I pull out of tournaments to give me two free days off because it can be tough, especially when the Premier League's on,' he exclusively told Mirror Sport. 'You don't get many days off from February up until May. It's just about managing the schedule and not overdoing it. At the start of the year, me and my manager put everything in the calendar so we know what's coming. 'So if I'm worn out or tired from a Euro Tour - you come back on a Sunday, then there's Pro Tours on Monday, Tuesday - you're not going to do them. It's all about managing the schedule, focusing on yourself and not tiring yourself out.' Littler's schedule, including media and PR commitments, means he has little time to reflect on his achievements of the last 18 months. Next week, for instance, he flies Down Under for World Series events in Australia and New Zealand. He said: 'There's not enough time to sit back and look at what I've done. When I've got a week off, I don't want to be sat down analysing what I've done in the past. I know what I've done, I can see the trophies in my living room. It's about living in the moment.' Following the World Series, which culminates in September, Littler and his rivals will turn their attention to the run of majors leading into the expanded World Championship, which begins on December 11. Of the majors, Littler is looking to win the World Grand Prix, European Championship, and Players Championships Finals for the first time. He said: 'Everyone wants to win the majors before the Worlds. I want to go back-to-back in the Grand Slam and do well at the Grand Prix.' Littler has teamed up with KP for the 'Nuts for Darts' campaign, which will see one lucky pub win an appearance from the world champion, who will spend an evening at the victorious boozer and throw some arrows with locals. Littler said: 'We need people to go to their landlords and get them to enter to get an appearance from me in their own pub. It's a brilliant idea by KP.' KP Nuts 'are giving one lucky pub the chance to win an appearance from Luke Littler as part of the 'Nuts for Darts' campaign. Rally your landlord to pick up a promotional pub cards to enter from 11th August.
New Statesman
37 minutes ago
- New Statesman
Gen Z cannot stop gambling
Illustration by Hardie / Ikon Images Every generation through history has had its vices. But Gen Z has apparently bucked the trend. Reading the headlines, you will learn that none of us have sex, and that we only drink when the ever-steepening pub prices seem marginally more affordable. Oscar Wilde would ask rightly whether we have a single redeeming vice. But as Gen Z teeters back and forth on the ledge overhanging conservative prudism, gambling appears to be emerging as our sole saving grace. The stoner has become the dopamine junky. Research shows that Gen Z – and specifically its male cohort – is leading the way on most gambling and sports betting participation. That's not to say that Gen Z are devotees at the altar of the cardsharp and the crapshooter. If you happen to find yourself at any sport-inclined pub in student areas on a Sunday afternoon, you will likely find a hyper-focused group of early-twenty-somethings huddled around the almighty deity that is Paddy Power. Séanced around a few Wetherspoons pitchers, these believers pray to the benevolent bookies and footballing gods that their bet-builder on an irrelevant 3pm mid-table Premier League clash pulls through, so that they can enjoy the fruits of their hard-earned labour – another round of drinks. None of them really care about the result, of course, but their fixation is symbolic of the ever-growing love for online betting as a social occasion. In some cases, the stakes seem to be drifting away from the old football-horse axis and becoming increasingly abstruse. Gen Z have collectively staked millions on things including ferret bingo, wife carrying and even who the next pope would be. A new national survey by the Gambling Commission found that the 18-24 demographic led all respondents in saying that they take part 'because it's fun' (87 per cent), 'to be sociable' (55 per cent), and 'because it's something I do with my friends or family' (58 per cent). Conversely, in comparison to older punters, Gen Z ranked last in interest of winning a large payout. This normalisation of gambling, of course, has seeds in Gen Z's native habitat: the internet. Influencers and online streamers have popularised the gamification of gambling. Platforms like Stake and Rainbet have capitalised on the trend of micro-transactions. The game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has a market for in-game skins (essentially, avatar costumes), now worth $4.3bn. And, similar to physical casinos, this digital house always wins, and handsomely so. Influencers entice their (often underage) audiences with the promise of riches won at the online table. Félix 'xQc' Lengyel switched from the conventional streaming site Twitch to the younger, hotter and more libertarian Kick – in order to maintain his partnership with an online casino upon which he has placed more than a million bets totalling more than $3.6bn. Luckily for Lengyel, his sponsorship more than recoups the $100m or so that he's lost over the course of his illustrious career. His audience cannot rely on the same guarantees. The hit of dopamine that flows on each gambling win supports a common theory that the attention spans of Gen Z have declined. Their ability to concentrate is, as the lingo goes, 'cooked'. The consensus seems to be that Gen Z are only more prudish because we are less socialised, or that we drink less only because we cannot afford it. But our woes aren't helped by an increasing dependence on Bet365 and Stake to make our lives more exciting. Instead of heeding the wisdom of Kenny Rogers' 'The Gambler' – 'Know when to walk away/And know when to run' – Gen Z are increasingly choosing to sprint towards the embrace of Big Gambling's hedonistic abyss. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe [See also: Brewdog Britain is dead] Related
Daily Mirror
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Jamie Vardy shares feelings on Wrexham transfer as ambitious Premier League move eyed up
Wrexham have been busy in the transfer market ahead of their season in the Championship after achieving promotion last term and have completed a transfer for Conor Coady Jamie Vardy has paid tribute to Conor Coady after the defender completed a move to Wrexham from Leicester City. The Foxes earned a £2million fee from the move as the Welsh side look to equip themselves for the Championship after earning promotion last season. Coady struggled to impress during his time at the King Power Stadium after injury ruled him out of the start of the 2023/24 promotion season where Jannik Vestergaard stepped in and did not hand his spot back. The 32-year-old featured in rotation in the Premier League but could not prevent a dire season that ended in relegation. It nevertheless seems that Coady left a positive impression on Vardy, who departed Leicester at the end of 2024/25 following the expiry of his contract. 'All the best brother. What a player and person," Vardy commented on Coady's exit message to Leicester fans. Writing on Instagram, Coady said: "A massive thank you to everyone connected to Leicester City for giving me the opportunity to wear your shirt and share the dressing room with some fantastic people. "Even though last season was tough for us all, I wish nothing but the best for the whole football club this season and beyond." Vardy's name is one that has been linked to Wrexham this summer, though it does not appear the 38-year-old will be making the move to the Racecourse Ground. The former England international's future remains up in the air as Wrexham move on with their transfer business. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have given Phil Parkinson the go-ahead to bring in six new players. And in addition to Coady, the Dragons are said to have agreed a £2million fee for Wales international striker Kieffer Moore from Sheffield United. Wrexham are also eyeing Premier League talent are reported to have expressed an interest in signing Pedro Lima on loan from Wolves. The Molineux side beat Chelsea to the signature of the 19-year-old Brazilian. That deal arrived after Lima appeared to confirm he would sign for Chelsea from Sport Recife, but the teenager ultimately signed a five-year deal with Wolves. And now Wrexham could be set to offer the player minutes as they look to establish themselves in the Championship. Former Crystal Palace boss Iain Dowie believes Wrexham will not long to challenge for a place in the Premier League. Speaking to BoyleSports, Dowie said: "I think it's a matter of time before Wrexham are challenging. I think they really will be up there challenging. You look at the club and look at even some of the teams that are in the Championship, I think it's harder ever to get out of this league. "Having said that, Wrexham have the fan base, they have the backing, it takes a very clever management, but they've got a very clever manager. There's no doubt they will be challenging and there is every chance they can challenge this year, but Phil Parkinson would be very happy, I think with 10th and above.
