- Ruben Amorim has reportedly urged players to show Luke Littler’s courage
- Littler became the youngest-ever World Darts Championship winner on Friday
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! New formation, some new faces, but the optimism has gone at Old Trafford
Ruben Amorim has reportedly called on his Manchester United stars to channel their inner Luke Littler ahead of their trip to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
United face the daunting task of trying to stun the title favourites after a run of five defeats in their last six league games.
The challenge is even more overwhelming considering that Liverpool have only lost one game all season, but form often goes out the window when these two meet, as it did in March’s FA Cup quarter-final, which United won 4-3.
Littler, who thrashed Michael van Gerwen 7-3 to lift the World Darts Championship trophy, is a United fan and was invited to watch the team train last January.
A year on, Amorim is hoping his dogged spirit can do his squad some favours as they try to stop the rot.
One source told the Sun: ‘He (Amorim) wants the team to start channelling the same self-belief Luke showed in Friday’s world final.
Ruben Amorim has urged his Man United stars to be inspired by Luke Littler as they face Liverpool
United fan Littler won the World Darts Championship final on Friday and would like to parade his silverware at Old Trafford
Harry Maguire posted his congratulations for the 17-year-old sensation on social media
‘Luke was unstoppable because he was determined to win. The players need to show the same courage against Liverpool.
‘They’re all pretty close to Luke and know victory against Liverpool would cap the most memorable weekend for their most famous fan.’
David Beckham was among the names who messaged Littler in the wake of his record-breaking triumph over three-time world champion Van Gerwen.
The 17-year-old from Warrington also received congratulations from Harry Maguire, who posted: ‘Ridiculous. Congratulations Luke the Nuke.’
Littler hopes he might be able to parade the Sid Waddell Trophy at Old Trafford in a cheeky dig against Liverpool, having beat Reds fan Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals.
He said: ‘If they allow me to then I’m sure I’ll go to Old Trafford.
‘Yeah [it’s an honour] I’m glad I beat Stephen [Bunting] yesterday as I’m pretty sure he was going to take it to Anfield on the weekend.’
Littler smashed Bunting 6-1 in the semi-final on Thursday night but ‘The Bullet’s’ Reds are performing a lot better than ‘The Nuke’s’ United, with Arne Slot’s men fiv points clear at the top of the Premier League with two games in hand.
Littler was invited to watch United train last January, and now Amorim is hoping he can help
United have lost five of their last six matches in the Premier League and sit 14th in the table
Bunting previously stated his desire to take the trophy to Anfield should he win it.
‘I don’t want to let [the fans] down,’ he said. ‘We can do this, we really can. At Anfield we always say the crowd is like the 12th man and here it’s no different. These fans can take me anywhere. This year it’s going to be a Bunting wonderland.
‘It’d be a dream come true [to take trophy to Anfield]. It would be even more fantastic because we play Man United, that would be unbelievable.’
Instead it is Littler who can show off the trophy to his fellow United supporters after smashing van Gerwen’s record of being the youngest-ever world champion.
In the aftermath of his win he signed the replica shirts of Wayne Rooney’s kids with his autograph.
