World No 1 Luke Humphries says Luke Littler is getting booed because “he’s not the underdog anymore”.

Littler created another slice of history in Birmingham last Thursday with a record-breaking fifth nightly win of the season.

The reigning Premier League champion defeated his great rival Michael van Gerwen to triumph in the West Midlands and now boasts a nine-point buffer over Humphries at the top of the table as they head to Leeds.

World champion Littler, 18, has received hostile receptions from German crowds in recent weeks, having also been booed on Premier League night in Liverpool.

“I am surprised and I’m not surprised,” said Humphries, who hopes to use Leeds United’s promotion to the Premier League as fuel for his own title bid.

“The reason I’m surprised is because he’s done nothing wrong. But the reason I’m not surprised is because everybody wants to knock someone down that’s doing well, don’t they? That’s what happens in life. I really never had anything like that until I became 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 is because he’s not the underdog anymore. When you’re at the top, everyone wants to see you lose. When you get booed, they just want to put you off. Luke just has to take it 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 [Gerwyn Price] when he was at the top. It’s happened to Michael [van Gerwen] when he was world No 1 and world champion. It’s just what happens, unfortunately.

He added: “I don’t really know what the answer to that question is really. It’s just something that seems to happen in darts.”

Littler took to Instagram to express his frustrations following the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich.

The Warrington thrower claimed that he would not play in Germany until October when he turns out for the European Championship in Dortmund, meaning he would miss the World Cup of Darts at the Eissporthalle Frankfurt from June 12 to 15 – live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports commentator Stuart Pyke said on air that Littler’s withdrawal from the Euro Tour event was purely due to scheduling, and his comments about Germany were overblown with the 18-year-old himself clarifying that this summer’s World Cup is still very much on his radar.

Humphries said he wasn’t worried by Littler’s comments and “knew that he didn’t mean what he meant”.

“He said, ‘no, I’m definitely playing’, and of course he is. No one’s going to turn down playing for England. You can’t never turn down playing for your country. I would never turn it down in a million years, no matter how tired I was, how ill I was. I’m putting on the England jersey.”

Former world champion Humphries continued: “We’re fully aware that we’re going to be massive favourites and everyone’s going to expect us to win it. But for me, I feel like we have to take away that pressure and just go out and enjoy it.

“Luke’s obviously experienced a lot of pressure, but there is a lot more pressure when you’re playing for your country.

“Luke’s got good doubles experience. We’re a great team and if we gel and play our best, it’s going to take a tough performance to beat us.”

Humphries defeated Michael van Gerwen to claim the nightly title in Leeds last year, and the pair will renew their rivalry in Thursday’s stand-out quarter-final tie.

Where does the Premier League head next?

The Premier League continues at the First Direct Arena, Leeds on Thursday, May 8 as Michael van Gerwen takes on Luke Humphries, while Luke Littler faces Nathan Aspinall. Stephen Bunting must avoid defeat against Chris Dobey to maintain his slender hopes of a top-four finish, while the Bedlington ace could also be ruled out of the Play-Off race depending on results elsewhere. Watch Night 14 of Premier League Darts, in Leeds, live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 10pm – stream with NOW.

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