Littler was born in Billinge, near Street Helens and played football as an amateur with various clubs including Skelmersdale United of the Liverpool County Football Combination and Northwich Victoria in the Cheshire County League while working as a payroll clerk in a Lancashire colliery.
His first professional contract came when he joined Rochdale of the Football League Third Division North in July 1928. A year later, he moved to the south coast to join Southampton of the Second Division on trial, before being signed in August 1929. He made his debut for the Saints when he took the place of the injured Jerry Mackie at inside-right for the home match against Chelsea on 21 September 1929.
In the summer of 1930, Littler was given a free transfer and returned to Lancashire to join Southport.
A year later, he moved on to Barrow before winding up his career back in the Cheshire County League with Winsford United.
The match was won 4–2, with a hat-trick from Dick Rowley. This was followed by a 5–0 victory at Nottingham Forest where he scored twice, with Rowley claiming a second consecutive hat-trick. Littler retained his place for a further ten matches, scoring once more, until December 1929, when, after a run of four matches without a win, manager Arthur Chadwick made seven changes for the match at Reading, replacing Littler with Bill Fraser.
