BIG LITTLER LIES

Luke fibbing if he claims he does not fear me says MVG

- MIKE WALTERS

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN reckons he is still the big gun Luke Littler fears most - and claims 'The Nuke' is lying if he says otherwise.

Van Gerwen was destroyed 7-3 by Littler in the Paddy Power PDC World Championship final last January, when the boy king lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy aged 17.

And Littler - who cannot meet No.3 seed 'Mighty Mike' until the final - leads 12-9 in the pair's head-to-head record in all competitions since he joined the professional ranks two years ago.

But as the three-time word champion emerges from a year of personal trauma, and begins his 20th world-title crusade at the age of 36 against Mitsuhiko Tatsunami at Alexandra Palace tonight, Van Gerwen isn't shy of calling the odds.