Teen sensation Luke Littler has earned an unexpected admirer in the form of Marseille striker, on loan from Everton, Neal Maupay, who has expressed his newfound respect for 'The Nuke' and darts.
Maupay's Marseille romped to a thumping 5-1 victory over Le Havre, with the ex-Brentford star finding the back of the net himself, cheekily hinting at a reignited feud with Tottenham's James Maddison by emulating his dart throw celebration once more.
Joining in celebrations were Maupay's team-mates who seemed equally infused with the spirit of darts at the final whistle.
Speaking to DAZN after the game, Maupay couldn't hide his enthusiasm for the sport: "Did I watch the whole thing? Of course I did! I like it in England, it's part of the culture. You've got to watch it, there's a great atmosphere."
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His newfound passion for darts intrigued many, considering the French forward's previous scuffle on social media with Littler last March.
After a heated moment with Scott McTominay during a game against Manchester United – the team Littler supports – Maupay took to Instagram with a post mocking the altercation: "This fan is desperate for my shirt."
Littler clapped back with a sharp jab on Instagram, writing: "Talks more than he scores". Not to be outdone, Maupay fired back, posting a video of Littler's celebrations and mocking with the quip 'Talk about a big fish'.
His retort wasn't just a dig but a clever nod to Littler's famed skill for nailing 170 checkouts - affectionately termed 'the big fish' in darts circles. However, underneath their online tiff, both players share a passion for the arrows.
