Welsh Underdog David Davies Reveals One Clear Advantage He Has Over World Champion Luke Littler

Welsh qualifier David Davies more than announced himself on the famous Alexandra Palace stage, producing a standout performance to beat Mario Vandenbogarde, 3-0, and book a dream second-round clash against reigning world champion Luke Littler.

An NHS area manager from Denbigh in North Wales, Davies arrived at the World Darts Championship as a relative unknown in the professional ranks.

He has been juggling appearances on the Challenge Tour, the PDC’s second-tier circuit for players without a tour card, alongside a demanding full-time role, often using up precious annual leave just to compete.

Discovering His Championship Route

Knowing that if he won his first-round match he’d draw the current world number one, Littler, we asked Davies how he found out about his potential World Championship route. 

He shared a funny anecdote about trying to watch the draw but ultimately hearing the news from a now ex-friend.

"To go back to the draw, I was actually on a cruise ship in Barbados trying to buy Wi-Fi, trying to watch the draw and it was stuttering and nothing was happening. Then a friend texted me to say, you've got Mario. So, I didn't actually see the draw even though I really, really wanted to.”

“I got another message from a friend, saying well you’re not going to win the title here. I was like, why? Well, you’re playing Luke [Littler] next. He’s an ex-mate now,” he laughed.

Familiarity with Littler

This is Davies’ World Championship debut, and he has never played in a game of this magnitude before on such a big stage.

However, he isn’t entirely unfamiliar with Littler. In fact, he has beaten the reigning world champion before, albeit five years ago at an amateur tournament in the Isle of Man.

“I’ve not really been in this position before. I have previously played Luke before in the Isle of Man, but he was 13 at the time.”

“I won, but we’ll bypass that, he’s a little better than what he was then.”

“He beat me two years later, so it’s one-one. It was in the Isle of Man again.”

Davies then offered some kind words on his opponent, acknowledging Littler’s dominance and the challenge ahead.

“He’s a different breed of player at the moment. He’s world number one and deserves to be.”

“I’m an underdog in every game I play, and I’m going to be massive underdog against Luke and rightly. It is what it is, I’m sure he’s rubbing his hands together.”

Walk-On Advantage

The 18-year-old Littler undoubtedly has an unmatched aura on the oche. His walk-on and the so-called ‘Littler effect’ often give him a psychological edge, as fans rally behind him and opponents struggle to find a rhythm.

Davies, however, isn’t intimidated. He believes his own walk-on will help him get the crowd onside and give him the advantage.

“I think my song’s better than his. So, I’m already one-nil up. Just more people are on his bandwagon than mine."

Davies comes out to ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ by Oasis, and despite doing neither of those things in real life, the song is a catalyst to engage the crowd and put Littler on the back foot.

Family Support

Davies concluded with a funny anecdote about his 12-year-old daughter, who initially wasn’t keen on travelling from Wales to London to watch her dad play his first game at Alexandra Palace. 

Now, facing the world number one, he thinks her perspective might have changed.

“My daughter is 12, there was a ticket for her, and she said she’s not really bothered.”

“Well, probably,” he responded when asked if her thoughts will change now knowing her dad now has a fixture against Littler.