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Leicester Mercury

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January 05, 2026

PRE-MATCH PIZZA GIVES LITTLER THE FUEL TO RETAIN CROWN

- By JONATHAN VEAL

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LUKE Littler revealed a pre-match pizza inspired him to more World Championship glory and insisted he has the hunger for many more titles.

The 18-year-old cemented his position as a great of the sport by joining Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson in winning back-to-back crowns and he is the new king of Alexandra Palace.

Littler burst onto the scene with an epic debut run to the final two years ago and has not lost on that stage since after a masterful 7-1 win over Gian van Veen, which earned him a record £1million prize cheque.

Littler has been a tour de force over the last year, winning five of the last six major tournaments, and looks set for an era-defining period of domination similar to what Taylor enjoyed.

Whether he will be able to match Taylor's 16 world titles remains to be seen, but Littler has the appetite for it.

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