Luke Littler ready to rain on Luke Humphries' parade at Leeds Premier League party

Luke Littler is planning to rain on world No.1 Luke Humphries’ parade in Leeds on Thursday night - even if it turns into another boos cruise.

The champion endured a rough ride from fans in Liverpool last month because of his football allegiances to . And Luke the Nuke could run the gauntlet of another hostile gallery in the BetMGM at the First Direct Arena, where the Yorkshire fancy dress legions will swing behind fan Humphries.

Littler won’t care a jot because he is nine points clear at the top of the table and already guaranteed a place in the play-off finals at London’s O2 Arena on May 29. But if the punters turn on him, His Nukeship has promised to “give it back to them” and harness the hate.

After Leeds’ Championship title parade, Humphries will be in party mode - but he must first overcome top-four rival Michael van Gerwen. Littler, 18, will be bracing himself for more antipathy when he faces Nathan Aspinall and he is not taking it for granted that he finish top of the pile - as he did in his maiden Premier League campaign 12 months ago.

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He said: “It depends on how the fans react. I don’t want to say I have secured top spot yet.

“Like in Newcastle and Liverpool, I will always give it back to them, but I will just relax these next few weeks. I don’t have to perform to any high standard, I’m just going to cruise my way into the O2.

“It’s very different this time, being the world champion, there is always a target on my back, especially from last year. But I know myself I have got to perform. The money is there to be won, the nightly wins are there to be won as well and I want to become a multiple Premier League champion.”

Humphries, a decent man from his flights to his spear tip, warned Littler will have to “take it on the chin” if he gets another hard time from a thirsty audience, saying it goes with the territory when you are sitting pretty at the top. The 2024 world champion, who has not won a Premier League night since Exeter on February 27, said: “In a way I'm surprised because he's done nothing wrong - but on the other hand I'm not surprised because everybody wants to knock someone down that's doing well.

“That's what happens in life - I really never had anything like that until I become world champion and world No.1, then all of a sudden you're getting it all the time. It's like nobody wants to see you succeed, and if you do, then people want to boo you.

“I think the reason why it's been happening to Luke is because he's not the underdog anymore. When you're at the top everyone wants to see you lose.

“Luke just has to take on the chin and accept that this is what happens when you get to the top - it’s happened to me and it's happened to Gezzy (Price) when he was at the top.”

Humphries enjoyed the climax to the EFL football season, where Leeds clinched the title with an injury-time goal at Plymouth on the final day. He admitted: “I was jumping around my hotel room in Germany when that goal went in and I do feel like the whole city is in a buzz at the moment.

“There’s still a great party atmosphere after the parade on Monday, and hopefully I can tap into that and play well. I’ve got as great record against Michael and he’s under a lot of pressure to make the top four - the only pressure on my shoulders is to perform well in front of a Leeds crowd and I want to give them something to cheer about.”

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