Former darts star Glen Durrant is grateful to Luke Littler for changing his life.

The three-time BDO world champion and former Premier League winner retired in 2022 after his game went into sharp decline. He has since moved into the Sky Sports commentary box while also running his own coaching business.

And he says business is booming thanks to the 18-year-old from Warrington, whose exploits over the last 14 months have transcended darts. The burgeoning interest in the sport hasn’t just led to more people taking up the game, but also turning to experts like Durrant to improve it.

“People all want to be Luke Littler now,” said Durrant in an interview for Reach’s 2025 darts preview publication. “He’s changed my life, and that’s just one example. He might have changed your [the media’s] life because more people are looking at darts.

“He might have changed the lives of darts players because he’s putting the sport not just on the back pages but on the front pages too. He won Young Sports Personality of the Year [and finished second in the main vote]. What he’s done for darts is incredible.”

Durrant knew something special was occurring during Littler’s explosive World Championship debut when he reached the final as a 16-year-old.

“I remember driving from Middlesbrough [his hometown] to Ally Pally on Boxing Day [2023], and BBC radio, sports radio stations were ringing me, asking for a conversation [about Littler]. It just went crazy,” he recalled.

Since that tournament, ‘Duzza’ has been inundated with coaching requests, and they are only likely to increase.

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“It’s been incredible,” he added. “All sorts of people are coming to me, including people who start off by hitting my wall! I like those ones because, within two hours, I can see a difference.

“When I’m working with Ryan Joyce, a top 32 player, you’re looking at one per cent, two per cent [improvement]. You’re looking at things like mindset, preparation and nutrition.

“But there’s nothing better than when someone walks in [to begin coaching] with a fundamental flaw. You work with them over 12 months, with Zoom meetings to check their progress, and see them improve. I love it.”

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