Stephen Bunting is convinced Luke Littler possesses the potential to finish his career as the finest darts player in history, though he acknowledges the legendary Phil Taylor will retain superiority in terms of sheer trophy count.
Littler's pursuit of an unprecedented 2026 clean sweep across all major ranking events came to an abrupt halt following his elimination at the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam. According to BBC Sport, the world No 1 suffered a 10-4 quarter-final defeat to Jonny Clayton, ending his remarkable run through the season's elite tournaments.
The 19-year-old had dominated the opening phase of 2026's calendar, capturing six consecutive premier titles. Following his World Championship victory at Alexandra Palace in January, Littler claimed the World Masters, UK Open, Premier League, World Cup of Darts and World Matchplay trophies in succession.
His original ambition involved adding the World Series of Darts Finals, World Grand Prix, European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals to his collection, which would have represented an historic monopoly over the entire year's major competitions. The Amsterdam disappointment derailed that vision, though Ross Smith ultimately claimed the World Series title with an 11-5 victory over Gerwyn Price.
Despite the setback, numerous experts within the sport are already forecasting Littler's emergence as the greatest player darts has ever produced. Bunting, the 41-year-old veteran, stands among those believers.
I do. I think he's got a lot more to give the sport.
When asked directly by Sky Sports News whether Littler can finish his career as darts' greatest ever, Bunting delivered an unequivocal affirmation. However, he tempered this assessment with a crucial caveat regarding Taylor's legacy.
I think he'll win a lot more world titles, but I don't think he'll win as many as Phil. The standard of play is a lot better than in Phil's day. Phil did dominate.
Bunting highlighted the transformation Littler has already engineered within the sport itself, extending beyond mere tournament victories.
But [Littler] is someone who has changed our sport. He's brought the [age] demographic of the sport down. If you ask people who a darts player is, they all say Luke Littler, that's how powerful his name is.
The conversation around comparative greatness prompted Bunting to express a degree of reluctance in settling the debate himself, preferring instead to defer to the two players at the centre of the discussion.
I think certainly Luke's ceiling is phenomenal. Based on his ceiling he is the best player in the world. Phil 'The Power' Taylor won 16 World Championships - you can't take that away from Phil.
If Phil tells me he's the best darts player in the world, he's the best darts player in the world. I'll leave it for them to discuss. I'd be happy to win one or two world titles, but Luke is smashing it already.
Bunting acknowledged the exceptional consistency Littler has demonstrated throughout 2026, even as other emerging talents begin to establish themselves as genuine contenders.
He's playing fantastic, won another European Tour, so he's pretty unstoppable. But there's a couple of players behind him who can also have high ceilings as well, so on the day, who knows what can happen.
Crowd behaviour and the Amsterdam experience
The World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam presented challenges beyond competitive ones for Littler. According to BBC Sport, Littler faced booing and whistling from sections of the crowd during his victory over Nathan Aspinall, an experience that prompted him to threaten withdrawing from future Netherlands-based events. He subsequently withdrew from Players Championship 29 and 30 in Den Bosch, scheduled for September 22 and 23.
When discussing this aspect of the tournament during an appearance on the Love The Darts podcast, Bunting was asked whether the crowd behaviour had crossed a line. He drew upon his own experience of similar treatment.
A loud whistle really does throw you off and I've had it in my career. It's not nice and it's off-putting when you're throwing for a double. It's the minority.
Bunting's perspective acknowledged the genuine difficulty such disruptions create for players whilst framing the issue as stemming from a small proportion of spectators rather than representing the broader fanbase.
Bunting's World Grand Prix ambitions
Bunting himself will feature at the upcoming World Grand Prix, where he harbours genuine aspirations of capturing the title. He has previously reached the semi-finals on two occasions but has never claimed the trophy.
Definitely. Hopefully I can go in with some really good form, these next few tournaments push me there with some confidence.
When asked about his prospects for the Leicester event, Bunting expressed genuine optimism about his chances. He highlighted the specific format of the competition as playing to his strengths.
The Grand Prix is a double-off format, I really enjoy hitting my doubles. It's going to be a great tournament. It's brilliant Sky Sports covers it and hopefully I can put on a good show for the fans and get the title.
The World Grand Prix will run from September 28 to October 4 at Leicester's Mattioli Arena, featuring the sport's elite players competing for significant prize money.
The Titanium era begins
Bunting's appearance at the World Grand Prix will also mark a significant personal milestone, as he debuts a new walk-on song. He has abandoned his previous entrance music, which featured the Peter Griffin character and the novelty track 'Bird is the Word', in favour of 'Titanium'.
My son's favourite song. It was an easy one to pick. I wanted to get away from the Peter Griffin and the 'Bird is the Word' song. Everyone's been really positive towards it.
The decision reflects both personal preference and family influence, with Bunting's son championing the track. The response from supporters has been overwhelmingly encouraging.
It's one of the greatest walk-on songs in my opinion. It's really a special moment when I'm doing the actions and they're singing it back to me. It makes me feel so happy.
Bunting articulated how the walk-on experience and crowd engagement serve a deeper psychological purpose within his performance framework.
Obviously, we're up there to do a job and play darts, but the walk-on and the crowd takes the pressure away and it relaxes me when I've done the walk-on.
When the crowd are singing 'let's go Bunting-mental', they really are my 12th man. To be able to use the crowd as a power, it's really important, they're a huge part of my game and it's nice to be able to give something back to them.
Bulletproof autobiography and personal struggles
Bunting has authored a new autobiography titled 'Bulletproof', which draws its name from both the lyrics within 'Titanium' and his established nickname. The book represents a comprehensive life story that addresses both his triumphs and significant personal challenges, including his battle with gambling addiction.
When discussing the darker aspects of his journey, Bunting acknowledged the toll that social media negativity has exacted upon him.
Sometimes it can be really difficult. I'm lucky I've got a great team around me, a brilliant family and some unbelievable fans and they've really helped me through a little bit of a dark time.
He referenced a specific incident that generated considerable online backlash, which he has now moved beyond.
It came off the back of the 'people's champion' debacle, which was taken well out of context. I've put that all behind me now. It's about rebuilding again. The confidence is high, even though the results are not going my way at the minute, I'm sure that's about to change.
The decision to include his gambling struggles within the autobiography reflected Bunting's commitment to honesty and transparency, despite the vulnerability such revelations require.
It was important to show everyone, this was a life story, so, everything needs to be in there. The gambling debts were a big part of my life.
Bunting described the psychological impact of his gambling habit and the path toward recovery he has undertaken.
When times were low, I'd lock myself away, and I'd be on my phone gambling. It was a horrible place to be in. I was in a rut and thankfully, sports psychologist, hypnotist and everything about that really helped me and helped me look at it in a positive way, even though somethings may not be positive, still taking a positive spin on it.
He expressed hope that his candid discussion of these issues might provide assistance to others facing comparable difficulties.
Gambling was a way out at the time but I was able to put that to bed and if one little bit out of this book can help anyone in this situation, the book's a winner.
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What happens next
The darts calendar continues with several major tournaments ahead. The World Grand Prix runs from September 28 to October 4 in Leicester, followed by the Grand Slam of Darts from November 14 to 22 and the World Darts Championship from December 10 through January 3. Sky Sports remains the home of darts coverage, with all events available to stream through NOW with no contract required.
