Phil Taylor feels anybody who doesn't like Luke Littler's attitude is an 'idiot' and used Manchester United's former glory to make his case.
Littler has provided a huge boost to darts since his emergence at the World Championships, with viewership figures reaching new heights.
Most have enjoyed the teenager's incredible rise to superstardom with Littler breathing new life into the sport.
But there have been a couple of occasions where Littler has taken some criticism for his antics on stage with Ricardo Pietreczko controversially confronting the 17-year-old at the Belgian Darts Open.
At the Players Championship where Littler went on to win, commentator Rod Studd branded him 'petulant' for throwing a dart to the floor in his match against Alan Soutar.
However, Taylor sees no problem with Littler showing 'a bit of needle' on stage and has taken aim at anybody who disagrees with that point.
"I've every game of Luke's - the games he's won and the games he's lost," Taylor told Online Darts.
"I'm impressed by him. It's an apprenticeship, that's what it is.
"He's a great little player and I like his attitude towards the game.
"I like it coz he's got that little bit of needle when he gets beat.
"Some people call it cocky, some people call it arrogance. It's not, it's nothing to do with that.
"The lad knows his ability and he knows how good he is and he knows he can do better.
"Footballers have it and if you don't have it you shouldn't be playing the game.
"He's got the perfect attitude. Anybody who knocks him is an idiot.
"They don't know what they are talking about."
Taylor went on to point to former United stars Roy Keane and Denis Irwin - players who were renowned for getting under the skin of their opponents - as examples of how it can work in Littler's favour.
"You need the Roy Keane inside you, the Tony Adams and the Stuart Pearces and Denis Irwins," Taylor added.
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"The Manchester United team - the great Manchester United team and the great Arsenal team... all the players were self-motivated.
"I think the manager was dead lucky that you've got a bunch of players that you didn't have to motivate.
"Or you had a captain that made sure you were motivated. That's the way you got to be.
"I think Luke's got the right team around him... I like his team and I think he's doing the right thing."
