Teenage sensation Luke Littler makes Premier League admission as PDC ponder new season line-up

The 16-year-old has taken the World Championship by storm and became the youngest semi-finalist ever after beating Brendan Dolan 5-1 in the quarter-final.

But Littler is not expecting a call-up to the weekly event that runs from February to May.

“I have seen what the Premier League does, like Monday, Tuesday I’d be playing Pro Tours, Wednesday a Euro Tour qualifier, Premier League on a Thursday, then a Euro event at the weekend,” he said.

“I think the PDC will keep me out of it, it will be brutal like everybody said.

“If I do get picked I do, if I don’t, then I am not expecting it. I didn’t expect to get to the semi-finals, look at other some of the other pros, this is my first major, they deserve it more than me.”

He will meet Cross in the final after the 2018 champion produced one of the most memorable Alexandra Palace comebacks.

Cross looked dead and buried when he was 4-0 down after barely 45 minutes as Chris Dobey played one of the matches of his life.

However, the off-stage break worked wonders for Cross as the former electrician sparked into life.

He reeled off four sets of his own and then took out 130 to seal a famous win but Cross knows he will have to improve if he is to stop the Littler train.

“Everyone loves an underdog story,” he said. “As the public and people looking at the game, everyone loves an underdog story.

“I am not being rude, I am on his side, I love an underdog story.

“It took a bit of pressure off me winning it first time as well.

“He’s fantastic and he deserves all the luck in the world, he is a nice young boy. Tomorrow we play darts, though, and I have to go down to business.”