Ronnie O'Sullivan offers Luke Littler advice after 'phenomenal' rise and No.1 bid

Luke Littler and Ronnie O'Sullivanboth dominated their respective sports at a tender age, with the 49-year-old snooker legend offering some advice to the young darts prodigy.

O'Sullivan advised the 18-year-old sensation to 'keep your feet on the ground,' whilst acknowledging that he's 'doing all the right things.' Littler, who has been causing quite a stir in the world of darts, is hot on the heels of another major title at the World Grand Prix, following his early exit in the opening round last year.

The reigning World Champion put on a dazzling display in victories over Gian van Veen and Mike De Decker, before being given a run for his money by Gerwyn Price in Friday's (October 10) showdown. O'Sullivan, no stranger to dealing with fame at a young age, lauded Littler'srapid ascent to stardom, which has catapulted him into the limelight beyond the realm of darts.

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Speaking to Daily Star Sport, The Rocket said: "He's number one already, winning tournaments. It's only a matter of time before he's officially number one.

"I wasn't like that - I was top seven, top eight, then top four. But the lad's in a league of his own. Phenomenal.

"I think he's pretty smart, pretty sure of himself. He knows his game. There's no one-size-fits-all - you have to find how you work best.

"Sometimes you don't need to be at your best every time, sometimes you just peak at the right time. He seems very adept at figuring it out for himself.

"I think for everyone, just keep your feet on the ground if you can - that's the main thing. He seems to have a good family and is doing all the right things."

While Littler continues his impressive run at the World Grand Prix, snooker legend O'Sullivan's journey came to an abrupt halt after a 5–2 defeat to Gary Wilson on Saturday.

The seven-time world champion has been more selective with his schedule in recent seasons, focusing on key events that make the most sense for him.

"Travelling over for certain events, it's not as easy as it used to be, so I have to be a bit more pick and choose about what I'm going to do, what events I'm going to play.

"It just has to make sense to me. I'm a bit more restricted now on what I'm going to be playing in the UK.

O'Sullivan continued: "Hopefully I'll play the UK Championships, hopefully play the Tour Championships just before the World Championships, and then obviously hopefully play all big championships as well.

"That's what I plan to do, but we'll wait and see."