Luke Littler is sport’s latest teen sensation as darts whiz emulates Pele, Boris Becker & Mike Tyson with oche wizardry
TO PUT into context what incredible Luke Littler is achieving at Ally Pally, let’s compare his teenage tricks to other sporting greats.
Brazilian legend Pele, for example, scored dazzling goals as he won his first of three World Cups aged 17 in 1958.
Boris Becker stunned the world of tennis in 1985 when he lifted the Wimbledon singles title for the first time aged 17.
Boxer Mike Tyson emerged from the mean streets of Brooklyn to claim the world heavyweight title for the first time after his 20th birthday.
Yet Littler, aged only 16 years old, is remarkably THREE wins away from reaching the pinnacle of his sport.
What started out as a notable underdog story is really gaining momentum and nobody left in the PDC World Darts Championship will take Littler – six months after he finished school – for granted.
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The Warrington teen said: “It’s unbelievable, the names you have just said there.
“I know Mike Tyson. Pele, I know off playing Fifa on my computer, but I don’t know the other one.
“I have certainly broken the rules and records already but I know if my game is there I can break even more records.”
Littler – who faces 50-year-old Brendan Dolan from Northern Ireland this afternoon in the quarter-finals – has far exceeded his pre-tournament ambitions but his story is not over yet.
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At present, he has banked £50,000 for knocking out Christian Kist, Andrew Gilding, Matt Campbell and his hero Raymond van Barneveld, dropping only three out of 17 sets.
Should he prevail over the best of nine sets, he will secure a £100,000 payday for making the last four.
Only six years ago, he was dreaming of a being a Premier League footballer until he was forced to make a choice.
Littler said: “It was my dad who told me to stop playing football, arguing that my darts were more important.
“I just looked at him and said: ‘I love football.’ That’s every kid’s dream.
“But I also had darts on the side of it. I was missing football matches to play darts and luckily it has all paid off.
“I found myself a good management and good sponsors before lockdown. That has been massive.
“I was a centre-back. No-one was getting past me!”
I have certainly broken the rules and records already but I know if my game is there I can break even more records.
Luke Littler
Littler – a mad keen Manchester United fan – has had goodwill messages from the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Jonny Evans.
His dream would be for David Beckham, the former Man Utd and England icon, to follow him on social media.
Premier League footballers are falling over themselves to meet Littler and grab a photo.
Only last week, he was approached for a picture by Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale before he headed off to the Emirates to watch the tie with West Ham from the corporate boxes.
The qualifier said: “It was unbelievable.
“I was walking to my hotel room and one of the security guards from Arsenal said to me, Declan and Aaron want a picture with you.
“I just went: ‘A picture with me?’ They said they have a dartboard up in the Arsenal changing room. They’re always on it.
“It’s crazy for them to want a picture with me. It should be the other way around.
'My life has changed'
“My life has already changed. At the Arsenal game the other day people were getting photos with me and that was even when I was putting my hood up.
“People were walking around in front of me asking for a picture. I was like: ‘What? I’ve got my hood up, I’m trying to hide.’
“But it’s all good that people want pictures, I’m glad.
“My friends cannot believe what is happening. It’s like all sports, football, tennis and darts, you’ve got youngsters coming through at 16, 17 years old.
“There are young players playing for Barcelona, and in the Premier League squads. Darts with me in it, hopefully it’ll get bigger and bigger.”
Littler – who says he hit a nine-darter in the practice room before beating Barney – spent New Year’s Eve watching the fireworks with his family.
Ask him to remember the last time he lost a single match and he cannot remember.
For the record, it was against Andy Boulton back in October in the Modus Super Series.
Whatever happens over the next three days, the reigning world youth champion, who is fuelled off-stage by J2Os drinks, is loving life in the fast lane.
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He said: “Usually I’m up in the mornings watching Sky Sports News. Now I’m on their news channel! It’s all incredible. I’m taking it all in my stride.
“The game can only get bigger. The likes of me at 16 coming through and already beating people who’ve been on tour for 10-plus years, hopefully they’ll look at me and think they can do what I can do.”
