Stephen Bunting is set to receive a warm reception from the Liverpool crowd on Thursday night, while Luke Littler may face a more hostile welcome. The back-to-back world champion has been booed in recent weeks following a public feud with Gian van Veen in Manchester. Bunting, on the other hand, is looking forward to a special moment when he takes on Premier League leader Jonny Clayton in the quarter-final.
He admits that crowd reaction is beyond his control and that players must learn to adapt to booing. The Premier League Darts schedule continues, with Littler facing former world champion Luke Humphries, while Van Veen takes on Gerwyn Price and Van Gerwen meets Josh Rock. Bunting, who is seventh in the standings and five points behind fourth-placed Van Gerwen, is hoping for a strong performance in front of his home crowd.
He also shared his thoughts on his beloved Liverpool football team, who are struggling to secure a Champions League spot. Darts chief Barry Hearn has told players they must get used to booing, as security staff cannot remove tens of thousands of fans from the venue.
Wayne Mardle has offered advice to Littler, saying that he needs to listen to his team and management to deal with the crowd's negative reaction.