'Absolutely amazing': Luke Littler's former coach Karl Holden stunned by run to world final

Luke Littler’s former coach hailed the 16-year-old’s efforts as "absolutely amazing" after after his historic run at the World Darts Championship.

It ended with defeat for the youngest-ever finalist, as Littler was beaten 7-4 by Luke Humphries in the final.

It came after a run that had included the Warrington-born teenage sensation beating former world champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross.

Karl Holden, co-founder of St Helens Darts Academy, which Littler attended from the age of nine, said: "Definitely not the result we wanted, but he's playing the best player in the world.

"To play the best player in the world and do what he has done is absolutely amazing. How can somebody who is 16 do that? I don’t know.

"I’m absolutely delighted to watch him in the final. I’m absolutely over the moon for him.

"End of the day, hats off to him. I’ve told the kids…appreciate great darts, and that’s what we’ve seen tonight."

Karl said Luke Littler's ability is 'causing mayhem around the world' and that the teenager is just at the beginning of his superstar career.

Karl said: "We're very proud of him, we really are."

While Littler may have missed out on the £500,000 cash prize, he'll still take home £200,000 as the tournament's runner up.

The teenager has risen from obscurity to national fame since his first win at the World Darts Championships, and has been credited with getting a whole new generation interested in the sport.

More than 250 media outlets from as far as China travelled to Alexandra Palace to cover the final, as the story of a 16-year-old darts player changing the game spread across the world.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...