LONDON -- A tearful Luke Littler said experiences during his ultimately successful Premier League campaign, in which he has drawn the ire of darts fans, had left him "down bad" and telling his partner, "I don't want to do it anymore."
Speaking after reclaiming his Premier League title with an 11-10 victory over Luke Humphries in Thursday's final, Littler reflected on a tumultuous campaign in which he has been regularly booed by Premier League crowds.
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"It's been a rollercoaster," Littler told Sky Sports. "The first four weeks at the bottom, on the fifth night I won my first night. I had to pick myself up, some tough times. I think I went to Brighton and had a 79 average of something like that. It was tough, I was down bad, but I'm here with the trophy."
Littler recovered from a slow start in this year's Premier League to match the record six nightly wins he first managed last year.
The 19-year-old needed a last-leg decider to beat Gerwyn Price in their semifinal meeting on finals night at the O2 Arena before averaging almost 112 in a neck-and-neck final against Humphries.
"After Brighton I think I came off stage, and the incident in Manchester, I was sat at home saying to Faith [his partner] 'I don't want to do it anymore. Just the crowd every week, week in, week out.' I said to her, 'I'm down bad,'" an emotional Littler said.
Littler's popularity took a nosedive after an on-stage spat with Gian van Veen in Manchester in which the Dutchman accused Littler of celebrating when his opponent missed a match dart.
There was a frosty handshake at the end of the match and some eyebrow-raising comments on social media, with both players since doubling down on their versions of events.
The incident came a couple of months after Littler was criticised for telling a jeering Alexandra Palace crowd: "I'm not bothered [by the booing]. Really not bothered. You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize money so thanks for booing me."
Both incidents have led to Littler being booed at darts venues, with Littler previously noting his experience in Rotterdam as particularly negative.
"If I lost, still no one would have found out about what I said on stage," Littler told a news conference on Thursday. "But yeah, I think I just had to let it out and tell everyone.
"I think this is obviously the -- I wouldn't say perfect time because you want to celebrate -- but yeah, like you said, I just had to get it out there to everyone,"
Asked if he thinks his openness might go some way to repairing his relationship with some fans, Littler said: "I hope it's a turning point. Everything I said on stage tonight, tears ... I'm not asking for sympathy. I just told the world. I told everyone how I was feeling during the Premier League and the biggest outcome is next to me [the trophy]."