16-year-old Luke 'The Nuke' Littler rewrites history books at PDC World Darts Championships
A teenager is taking the darts world by storm after achieving the strongest debut in history at the World Darts Championship.
Luke "The Nuke" Littler, 16, is now just one game away from being crowned World Champion, and is already the youngest player to reach the final.
He swept past 2018 winner Rob Cross in the semi-finals 6-2, averaging 106.05 in a nerveless performance.
He had previously beat his hero, and five-time world champion, Raymond van Barneveld, to make it through to the quarter finals, before beating Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan to reach the final four.
The Manchester United fan, from Warrington, hit the headlines around the world and has enjoyed celebrity status after bursting onto the scene.
After seeing off six world-class players, he is now set to play Luke Humphries in the finals to fulfill his dream of lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy on Wednesday 3 January.
But who is Luke 'the Nuke' Littler?
Littler, born in Runcorn, Cheshire, has been playing darts since he was nine. At age 12, he won the England Youth Grand Prix in 2019.
He entered the world of professional chess in 2021, winning the Irish Open at the age of 14.
In 2022, he won the Welsh Open and has notched further senior titles at the Isle of Man Classic, Gibraltar Open, British Open and British Classic.
Littler went on to win the Gibraltar Open and the PDC World Youth Championship in 2023, making it his breakthrough year.
Who has he beaten at the World Darts Championship?
In his first win of the tournament, Littler beat Dutchman Christian Kist, hitting seven 180s and averaging 106.2, the highest average to ever be achieved on a debut.
During the win, on Wednesday 20 December, a sold-out Alexandra Palace erupted into a chorus of "You've got school in the morning", to which the Warrington-based teenager responded by pumping his chest.
The teen chose Greenlight by Pitbull as his walk-on music as he entered the match at Alexandra Palace, shaking hands with members of the crowd as the song played.
He then took on Andrew Gilding, knocking out the 20th seed with a 3-1 win in the second round.
In the third round, Littler beat Canadian Matt Campbell 4-1 to make history as the youngest player to ever reach the last 16 of the tournament.
He then set records again, becoming the youngest player to reach the last eight when he hammered Raymond van Barneveld, who he used to imitate in front of the television as a three-year-old.
He peppered the treble 20 nine times and finished with an average of 105.01.
Littler continued his winning streak, cruising past Brendan Dolan 5-1 and finishing with an average of 101.93.
He came up against eighth seed Rob Cross in the final four, beating his fellow Englishman 6-2 in stunning fashion.
He bombarded the treble-20 16 times, produced three 130-plus checkouts and averaged 106.05 in a nerveless performance.
How have others reacted to his wins?
Littler's exploits have already transcended the world of darts, with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) coming under increasing pressure to hand him a place in the forthcoming Premier League.
Littler and his family received complimentary tickets to watch Arsenal in the Premier League on Thursday, 29 December, with Gunners pair Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale asking him for a photo.
Players from his beloved Manchester United also sent him good luck messages before the match with Van Barneveld.
“It was unbelievable,” he added. “I was walking to my room and one of the security guards from Arsenal said to me Declan and Aaron wanted a picture with me and I just went ‘a picture with me’, and they came out for one.
“They said they have a dartboard up in the changing room. It is crazy for them to want a picture with me, it should be the other way around.
“It was incredible to get the messages, obviously United didn’t get the win (at Forest), but Jonny (Evans) and Gary (Neville) are United legends and Jonny is still playing for us, it was just incredible.”
He then warmed up for his quarter final match by sharing a box at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with England international James Maddison to watch Spurs’ Premier League match with Bournemouth on Sunday, while he has had pictures and exchanged messages with a host of other top footballers.
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