Darts
World Grand Prix Darts 2025: Jonny Clayton Admits Fear of ‘Different Animal’ Luke Littler
Jonny Clayton admits he’ll take a different approach from Gerwyn Price when facing Luke Littler in the World Grand Prix semi-final. The Welshman says it would be “stupid” not to fear the teenage world champion, hailing Littler as “a different animal” who, alongside Luke Humphries, is setting new standards in darts.
Credit: PDC
Welshman Jonny Clayton says he won’t be following his World Cup teammate Gerwyn Price’s approach when it comes to facing reigning world champion Luke Littler.
Price’s Bold Words Backfire
Before his own quarter-final exit, Price was brimming with confidence, insisting he wasn’t intimidated by the teenage sensation, unlike most of the field.
“I’m here to win this tournament and I believe I can win it. I’m not scared of anybody.”
“I think all the other players are scared of him before they even get on the board. Like Phil Taylor used to be years ago,” Price told the media.
Those words, however, appeared to backfire. Littler used them as motivation to mount a stunning comeback and knock out the 2020 World Grand Prix champion.
“You Have to Be Scared of Him”
Following his own comfortable 3-0 quarter-final win over Dirk van Duijvenbode, Clayton gave an honest verdict on how he plans to approach his semi-final showdown with the Warrington wonderkid, and his outlook is very different.
Clayton admitted that he does, in fact, fear the 18-year-old, and that it would be foolish not to.
“An honest answer is you have to be scared of him,” he told SportsBoom.co.uk.
The Two Lukes Lead the Way
The Welshman also acknowledged that the rest of the darting elite are simply trying to keep up with Littler and world number one Luke Humphries, whose dominance has raised the standard across the circuit.
“The two Lukes [Littler & Humphries] are pushing bars, and we’re all following.
“We all try to follow the two Lukes.”
It’s often said that players should “play the board, not the player,” but Clayton knows that’s far easier said than done, especially when standing across from the sport’s hottest property.
“There’s never a true word; you play the board. It’s not as easy as that. At the end of the day, you’re playing the hottest player on the planet.”
Finding a Way to Stop a ‘Different Animal’
Clayton has already faced Littler three times this season, at the Winmau World Masters, the UK Open, and most recently at the World Series of Darts Finals.
While those encounters have given him a sense of what to expect, he admits finding an answer to the teenager’s relentless scoring power is another matter.
“I wish he’d miss treble 20 a bit, I can tell you that.”
“He’s world class, isn’t he? Everybody that follows darts can see he is a different animal.”
Their first televised PDC major meeting came in Milton Keynes at the Masters earlier this year, a match in which Clayton got the better of Littler. It’s a result he hasn’t forgotten and one he plans to draw inspiration from.
“But I can always say the first game of darts on the stage against Luke Littler, I beat him.”
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