Stephen Bunting has insisted he was never going to go ‘too hard’ on Luke Littler after the teenager recently angered Michael van Gerwen by turning up late to a photoshoot.
The 18-year-old has become the poster boy of darts over the past 12 months or so, with millions flocking to the sport fascinated by his rapid development.
However, Littler recently riled Van Gerwen by turning up late to a photoshoot before the first night of Premier League action in Belfast.
The teenager apologised for his actions and admitted that his Dutch rival gave him a ‘bit of a telling off’.
Darts news: Stephen Bunting has insisted he was never going to go ‘too hard’ on Luke Littler after the teenager recently angered Michael van Gerwen by turning up late to a photoshoot
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Van Gerwen insisted Littler isn’t a ‘baby’ and should be treated equally, despite his young age.
Bunting, speaking to talkSPORT, has now revealed his thoughts on the situation.
And the darts star has insisted he was ‘alright’ with Littler’s lack of punctuality, saying: “Listen, he’s a young lad, isn’t he.
“He’s going to learn. I had my coat, so I was alright.”
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The veteran then added: “I’m not going to be too hard on him. Obviously he’ll learn from his mistakes.
“People have criticised him for it. Like I said, hopefully he learns from that and he’s not late again.
“But if he’s late again, I think there will be more people having a go at him.”
Bunting’s comments come after Van Gerwen had raged: “They need to stop treating him as a baby, yeah.
“He’s not a baby any more. He’s 18 years old now.
“It happens. He has to learn, but he needs to learn the hard way. It’s a professional sport so you have to be responsible for your actions as well, simple as that.
“If he turns up late for an interview, I don’t really mind, by now seven other people are waiting for him.
“That’s not really nice, is it?”
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Darts news: Luke Littler was rebuked by Michael van Gerwen after turning up late to a photoshoot
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Darts legend Dennis Priestley, meanwhile, recently suggested that Littler should be fined for being late – so he learns his lesson for the future.
He told OLBG: “Luke Littler should’ve been fined for turning up late and that would be the right thing to do, it’s a learning experience for him, the fine should be automatic.
“If you are late to your own event, that is one thing.
“But when there are seven other players as well as staff and media there that have all made the effort, it isn’t good enough no matter what your age is.
Darts news: Stephen Bunting thinks Luke Littler will learn his lesson after turning up late to a photoshoot
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“Michael van Gerwen is right to complain, I just hope he took Littler to one side and did things properly and calmly as well as speaking to the media.
“The Premier League is a team game in the sense that you are all together for so long and you need to stick together.
“If it was someone like Gerwyn Price, you think he may have been given a fine and it should be no different for Littler.”