GRINS AND NEEDLES

Joker Luke vows to carry on throwing barbed comments to football celebs, saying: If you can't hack it, bad luck

- MIKE WAITERS

LUKE LITTLER will conduct his 'home' crowd like a symphony orchestra tonight, promising no ceasefire in his playful slanging matches with football celebrities.

Sitting pretty in the BetMGM Premier League table after his first nightly win last week, Luke the Nuke faces Michael van Gerwen (right) at Manchester's AO Arena fresh from his lighthearted spat with Brentford striker Neal Maupay.

At the weekend, Maupay, who went 30 games without scoring for Everton before a more productive loan move to his former club, tweeted a photo of his tussle with Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, joking: "This fan was desperate for my shirt."

United fan Littler was quick to respond, posting: "Talks more than he scores!" A