Luke Littler has been the story of the World Darts Championship so far. Photo: PA Wire/Zach Goodwin
If you think about it, 18 months old Luke Littler was too young to get his first dart. Guess what the teenage prodigy bought his nephew before he was born?
You can hardly blame a 16-year-old for becoming attached to his nephew. logical conclusion: getting an early start is critical to success in the sport.
After all, no one currently embodies this better than Littler, who took the World Darts Championship by storm by starting to hit the bull's eye while still in diapers .
At the age of 16, he became an uncle to his 19-year-old child. His brother's son, George, is just another example of Littler's life in fast forward.
“Before he was born, I had already bought him a magnetic dartboard,” Littler says. “Try to get him on the board with me and my brother.”
Even if his darts-mad father had given him a board at birth, it's hard to imagine what else Littler could have achieved in the sport today.
The reigning world junior champion, he has become the youngest player , winning the World Championship and then two more stunning performances to reach the round of 16, where he will face Raymond van Barneveld on Saturday.
Such was his influence, comparisons were inevitable with young prodigies from other sports, including Pelé and Wayne Rooney.
Looks like Littler has a great future ahead of him. Photo: PA Wire/Zach Goodwin “It's just crazy people comparing me to these players who have scored over 300 goals,” Littler says. “This is crazy. I'm just throwing darts.”
When I watch “Luke The Nuke” on oche, there's something of a 16-year-old Rooney about it. With his rugged good looks and stereotypical darts player's physique, he looks twice his age.
But talking to him before his next match on Saturday dispels any doubts about his birth date. The answers to the questions are exactly what you would expect from a teenager, not to mention the fact that he went from relative obscurity to national fame in a matter of days.
Littler says he is taking it all in stride after being advised to do just that by his darts idols such as Phil Taylor and fellow prodigy Michael van Gerwen.
But the Warrington teenager and Academy graduate St Helens darts is still amazed by the response to his exploits at Alexandra Palace.
“My following on social media is growing,” he says. “People I look up to follow me. Like football players. The last week or two since I've been here, it's been crazy.”
Do they want to take a picture with me?
The Manchester United fan's new fans included Rio Ferdinand as well as Donny van de Beek. , who posed for a photo with the teenager after playing at the World Cup.
But the real pinch-me moment came on Wednesday when England pair Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale asked to be photographed with Littler, who was staying at the same London hotel that “ Arsenal” used for their home matches.
Littler was asked to pose for a photo with England footballers Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale (left)
“I said, 'Do they want a photo with me?' says Littler. “They came out and said, 'You're breaking it.' I can't believe you're only 16. Just keep it up.”
Trip to Arsenal's Premier League defeat by West Ham United follows football-mad Littler whose Christmas gifts included tour tickets. at Old Trafford after the World Cup.
If any other teenager had earned himself the guaranteed £35,000 – with the £500,000 prize still on offer – he might have been expected to go on a shopping spree. But not Littler.
“I always treat myself to Under Armor tracksuits,” he says when asked if he has any gifts planned. “And just buy yourself a new coat and get some FIFA points for my Xbox. That's all.”
He admits that he “would like to start driving” (he turns 17 on January 21), if only so that his father no longer has to drive him to tournaments.
But despite being sponsored local Skoda dealership, he says he hasn't even thought about what kind of car he should buy.
Indeed, when it comes to Littler's interests outside of darts, playing FIFA (now called EA Sports FC) “chills me out” and “sees friends from time to time” is the total.
“Darts is my life”
Despite being serenaded after every victory at Alexandra Palace with the words “You've got school in the morning”, he has no plans to continue his academic education, leaving Padgate Academy in the summer after finishing his GCSEs.
“Darts is my life,” he says, admitting he hasn't even thought about what to do if the worst happens. “If something goes wrong, I'll have to find something else.”
A far more realistic goal for Littler, judging by the past two weeks, will be to reach the very top of the sport and stay at the top. there.
And 16-time world champion Taylor is the perfect role model.
“What Phil did was incredible,” Littler says of the player who dominated darts for many years. more than two decades. “The number of world titles he has won. But I'm only 16. I can only win what's in front of me.”
Littler will take on darts legend Raymond van Barneveld in the fourth round at Alexandra Palace. Photo: PA Wire/Zac Goodwin
This will require remaining dedicated to his craft, which, along with an early start, is another secret to Littler's success.
In a parallel universe, it might be his older brother Lucas, standing at the eye on Saturday. As children, the pair played with each other every day until the first coronavirus lockdown began almost four years ago.
“When the lockdown first happened, he just stopped,” Littler says. “While my mom and dad pushed me on the board, for hours a day.”
Since people were legally forced to stay home, this meant playing with opponents on different dart boards, something Littler's brother did not do. accept.
“He beat me almost every day, and I got upset,” Littler recalls. “But then I started beating him.
“It’s a pity that he stopped. He just lost interest because he didn't want to play online with a camera and a scorer. But it didn't bother me.”
Indeed, Littler credits his meteoric rise since then to the hours he spent playing at home during lockdown, and continues to use the Scolia darts system, which automatically calculates each player's scores. . This means that anyone in the world with the same system can challenge Littler in the game.
If the teenager gets his way, his own nephew may soon join them.
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