New world champion Luke Humphries is anticipating an enduring rivalry with Luke Littler in years to come.
Humphries ended Littler’s teenage dream by winning the World Championship at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday night as he celebrated becoming world number one by lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time.
Littler, 16, was the star of the tournament, though, his time will surely come after showing he can already mix it with the very best in the sport.
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But it is Humphries who is the current king, having won four of the last five major titles, and he expects the two Lukes to be at the top of the pile.
“It is a final I would be very shocked not to see again,” he said. “Not just in world finals, in major finals, we will see that final many, many times over the next 20 years.
“Darts can throw up anything, who knows what talent can come through and all of a sudden be better than us.
“I don’t think we will see a talent as good as Luke at 16 ever again in any sport. Him winning the title would have been the equivalent of a 16-year-old winning the Balon D’Or or a tennis player winning Wimbledon.
“I would be very shocked if you see someone with a cool, calm head like him at such a young age dominate like he can.”
Although he was the villain for ending Littler’s dream becoming the youngest world champion, few will begrudge the success of Humphries, who is one of the sport’s nice guys.
But that has often led him to be called ‘boring’ as he is more reserved than the showman Peter Wright, fist-pumping Michael van Gerwen or combative Gerwyn Price, but he has let his darts do the talking.
“I am not a boring person, I know a load of people say it on social media, but what you see on stage is not the person you see in real life,” he said. “The comments do not affect me, people can say whatever they want to say.
“It is up to me whether I let them affect me and I never will. I am the one that is doing all the hard work and if I was to create a fake personality and do different things then I probably wouldn’t be winning the things I do.
“That is the great thing about darts, there are so many different personalities, a lot of them come out on stage, mine comes out behind the stage.
“Once I won the Grand Prix. a couple of people said it and everyone just jumped on that bandwagon.
“It is not boring, if you’re a proper darts fan you are going to enjoy watching that game. It happened to me, I celebrated winning one of the sets and look what happened next, I was rubbish, that is why I like to keep laser-focused and worry about winning the game.”
Named Luke by his father as homage to his beloved Leeds (Leeds United Kings of Europe), plans are in the pipeline to parade his trophy around Elland Road.
He added: “It would make me feel as good as I just felt because I have watched and supported my beloved Leeds for many years, since I was about three or four years old which is as long as I can remember.
“To go around and see all those Leeds fans cheering my name and shouting it would just a very emotional moment, it really will.”
World champion Luke Humphries has pledged to donate some of his prize money to Prostate Cancer UK as over £1million was raised for the charity during the World Championships.
Humphries lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time after a thrilling 7-4 win over teenage star Luke Littler on Wednesday night, picking a £500,000 cheque.
Tournament sponsors Paddy Power pledged to donate £1,000 every time a player hits 180 throughout the flagship event at the Alexandra Palace, with Humphries contributing 73 to a final total of 914.
The bookmaker has rounded it up to £1million, with Humphries also adding some to the pot as it is a meaningful cause as his father-in-law recently suffered from the disease.
“My father-in-law has battled prostate cancer, he went and got it checked out early, so this is a close thing to my heart,” he said. “I will be dedicating that one to him.
“For me to have added £73,000 is just fantastic. It is very, very close to my heart and as a collective the players have added quite a lot of money, I won’t say the figure, but I am going to donate a bit from my prize money as well.”
The money raised will fund lifesaving research to diagnose men sooner and improve the lives of men affected by the most common cancer in men, with one in eight suffering.
Prostate Cancer UK chief executive Laura Kerby added: “It’s been a magical few weeks at the World Darts Championship and we were absolutely thrilled this morning when Paddy Power agreed to round up the £914,000 to a million pounds.
“With every maximum thrown by both Lukes and the world’s top players; with every iconic shout of ‘180’ we have made a huge difference to men affected by this disease – and their loved ones too.
“We’re thrilled at the success of the campaign to date and as well as some sharp shooting from the players, it’s hugely encouraging that more than 90,000 people have completed our online risk checker.
“One in eight men will be affected by prostate cancer. It’s a disease that is curable if caught early, but early-stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms, so it is vital that men know their risk. This online tool is the first step.”
:: It takes 30 seconds to answer three questions to check your prostate cancer risk. Do it now by clicking on the following link: prostatecanceruk.org/180-risk
When Luke Humphries suffered an anxiety attack midway through a tournament in 2019, he could not have thought that five years later he would become world champion.
Humphries was playing in the German Open when he was suddenly immobilised at 5-2 up against James Wade and went on to lose 6-5. It was his darkest moment and he felt so bad he seriously considered quitting the sport he loves.
But it proved a pivotal moment in his career as in the aftermath he chose to speak out about his battle with his mental health.
And that was the start of a journey that came to a memorable climax on Wednesday night when he solidified his position as the new world number one by winning the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Although he was the villain for ending Luke Littler’s teenage dream of becoming the youngest world champion, few will begrudge the success of Humphries, who is one of the sport’s nice guys.
And the 28-year-old has proved that nice guys do not always finish last as his Ally Pally triumph was a culmination of a stunning few months where he won the World Grand Prix, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship to establish himself as the best player in the world.
Named Luke by his father as homage to his beloved Leeds United (Leeds United Kings of Europe) a career in sport always seemed likely, but for a while it seemed he would follow his dad Mark’s footsteps in becoming a roofer.
He certainly was not the teenage prodigy that Littler is. Littler came within one win of being the sport’s youngest world champion at the age of 16, while Humphries was the oldest player to win the World Youth Championship when he lifted the title in 2019 aged 24.
That success came in the months after opening up about his anxiety and it was four months after that another turning point came in his life as he decided to make the best out of a bad situation during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020 and shed a huge amount of weight.
When the PDC Tour resumed he was unrecognisable and it soon started paying dividends, with 2022 being a breakout year on the European Tour as he won four titles.
He transferred that to the main PDC Tour in 2023 and when he won the Grand Prix in Leicester in October to claim his first major title the floodgates were opened.
Nicknamed ‘Cool Hand’ in reference to the 1967 prison-drama film Cool Hand Luke, he has taking no prisoners, winning 19 successive matches as he also triumphed in the prestigious Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship tournaments.
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He has often been called boring as he is more reserved than the showman Peter Wright, fist-pumping Michael van Gerwen or combative Gerwyn Price, but he has let his darts to do the talking.
His semi-final win at Alexandra Palace saw him overtake Van Gerwen and Michael Smith to become the new world number one and he solidified that position 24 hours later by becoming the world champion.
The player that froze on stage in Germany five years ago would be proud.
Luke Littler wants to inspire fellow youngsters to play darts after his historic World Championship campaign.
The 16-year-old debutant has taken the sport by storm by reaching the final at Alexandra Palace, where he was beaten by world number one Luke Humphries on Wednesday night.
He was one win away from becoming darts’ youngest champion and earning sporting immortality but went down 7-4 in the final.
His performances over the last fortnight have earned him celebrity status and have transcended the world of darts as everyone has wanted a piece of the teenager from Warrington.
And Littler, who left school with just one GCSE in the summer to concentrate on his darts, wants to be an inspiration to other kids.
“I have caught a load of people’s attention,” he said. “It is just unbelievable, I hope I have caught lots of young people’s minds to get on a board and just try it out.
“If they don’t like it that’s fine but I’d advise them to give it a go because it is a good sport and once you get into it you’ll always love it.
“If you love the darts why don’t you get on the board and try and be like me or one of the other top professionals.”
Life has changed forever for Littler, who pocketed a £200,000 prize for finishing second and has got even more earning power owing to his celebrity status.
“I have just got to be myself and be the Luke Littler I have been here for the last three to four weeks,” he added.
“It has changed me a lot, I have broke into the top 32, I have got a bit of money now, which is going to help.
“Getting into the top 32 will definitely help me qualify for pretty much every event in the year.
“It’s a losing start to the year, but it is also a good start to the year. I will take the positives.”
Luke Littler has become a world star after his sensational run to the final of the World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Although the 16-year-old debutant was beaten in the decider by world number one Luke Humphries, he proved he is going to be a force to be reckoned with for many years.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what is next for the teenage sensation.
Why was his performance such a shock?
Littler has been a star in the making for some time with his performances on the junior circuit and it was winning the World Youth Championship in November that earned him a ticket to the main event. Although he had played some senior events, he had never experienced anything like the raucous atmosphere of a televised event before let alone the World Championship. Many 16-year-olds would have crumbled under the pressure, but Littler thrived on it and looked like he belonged on the biggest stage. He kept his emotions in check throughout the entire tournament and while all of his friends were enjoying their Christmas break from college, he was becoming a world star.
How good can he be?
Based on his performances over the last fortnight, the sky is the limit for ‘The Nuke’. He has already shown he is capable of matching the world’s best players and unless anything goes badly wrong, he will be at the top of the game for many years. Alongside an incredible darting talent, he also appears to have the mental strength to prevail. Former World Championship semi-finalist Wayne Mardle believes he will be a multiple world champion and he will get the chance to start winning some of the biggest tournaments from next month.
What is next for him?
Littler’s success at Ally Pally saw him earn a two-year PDC Tour card and guaranteed return to the World Championship in 2025. He left school in the summer with one GCSE – in sport – to focus on his darts and is ready to take on the professional circuit. His first shot at a major title will come at the UK Open in March as he has earned a spot in the last 64. It will be a test for Littler to handle the schedule as there is a lot of travelling both around the UK and Europe so he may have to pick and choose which events he plays.
What about a place in the Premier League?
The Premier League is a weekly round-robin competition played around the UK – with a couple of dates in Europe – between February and May. The top-four ranked players qualify automatically, with the PDC choosing four other entrants. It will come under big pressure to hand Littler one of the remaining spots after his performance at Ally Pally. The 16-year-old had said he does not think he will get picked due to his age and scheduling but it looks increasingly likely he will get the nod.
How much money can he earn?
Littler has already changed his life over the last fortnight, with his run to the final earning him a cool £200,000, which will be able to buy him a car when he can start driving lessons later this month. But that will be dwarfed by his earning potential from sponsorship and other revenue streams. He has transcended the sport of darts with his performances and personality, turning himself into a global name and the rewards will follow.
Luke Littler says he has what it takes to return to the Alexandra Palace stage and win the World Championship in the future after his historic debut dream ended in a final defeat to Luke Humphries.
The 16-year-old has set Alexandra Palace alight over the last fortnight and was one win away from producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time by becoming the youngest world champion.
But he fell at the final hurdle as Humphries showed why he is the new world number one with a scintillating 7-4 victory, which saw him lift the Sid Waddell trophy for the first time.
He may have fallen just short of achieving sporting immortality, but this is just the beginning for Littler and his time will surely come, with many tipping him to become a multiple world champion.
He said: “It’s been unbelievable, I just wanted to win one game and come back after Christmas, that was the only goal I set, so this is a massive bonus.
“No one likes losing, I have not really lost much, so to lose on that stage I can’t really be angry, the only thing I am angry about is that I lost a lot of legs on my throw and I was just chasing Luke.
“I have won six games here so why can’t I go and win seven here in years to come? I have gained a lot of experience and stage experience, I am in the top 32 now so I could be in everything.
“The past three to four weeks have been unbelievable and now I just can’t wait to go home.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t give the crowd what they wanted.”
It is a landmark success for Humphries, who has now won four of the last five major tournaments after an incredible few months.
But the 28-year-old knew he had to seize his chance because with Littler around, he might not get many more.
“I could not put into words how great this feels,” he said. “I was thinking I had to win this one because he is going to dominate world darts. When I was on the brink of winning he was relentless.
“He is an incredible talent and I had to win this one tonight, he is going to win plenty that’s for sure.
“We will never ever see the likes of him again at that age, to go up on the world stage and produce those darts in the final, I love the kid to bits, he is a real credit.
“I hope he plays in everything because it is special.”
Luke Littler’s former coach hailed the 16-year-old’s efforts as “absolutely amazing” after his history-making run at the World Darts Championship ended with defeat to Luke Humphries in the final.
Tournament debutant Littler, the youngest-ever finalist, was beaten 7-4 at Alexandra Palace by Humphries, who had just become world number one.
It came after a run that had included the Warrington-born teenage sensation beating former world champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross.
And Karl Holden, co-founder of St Helens Darts Academy, which Littler attended from the age of nine, told the PA news agency: “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.”
Holden added: “At the age of 16, he’s one of the biggest names in world sport, never mind world darts. Just to have him in this club was a privilege.
“Obviously we put our little part in, but it’s his ability that is causing mayhem around the world.
“He’s just at the beginning of his superstar career. We’re very proud of him, we really are.”
While Littler’s name was barely known beyond his home town before the start of the world championship last month, this is no overnight success story.
Speaking before the final, which he watched as members held a party at the academy’s home, Holden said: “He has been coming here since he was nine.
“When he first came as a kid you could see he was very special and he just got better and better. Every year he was a bit better than the last.
“We put him up to the under-14s when he was nine, but three months after that he was smashing all them to bits.
“He hardly lost so we said, ‘What do we do now?’ We put him into the elite group, which is our best players and he had just turned 10.
“Obviously he puts a lot of hours in and we had to tell him to stop coming as he was so good.
“He needed to be playing at a better standard. He was good enough to win men’s tournaments at 13 or 14. And he did. His ability is second to none.
“The best players reach a level in their twenties that he’s reached at 16.
“We’ve produced some good players. Probably about 40 county players, but Luke is something else.”
Luke Littler has vowed to return to the Alexandra Palace stage and win the World Championship in the future after his historic debut dream ended in a final defeat to Luke Humphries.
The 16-year-old debutant has set Alexandra Palace alight over the last fortnight and was one win away from producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time by becoming the youngest world champion.
But he fell at the final hurdle as Humphries showed why he is the new world number one with a scintillating 7-4 victory, which saw him lift the Sid Waddell trophy for the first time.
Life will never be the same for Littler, who now has a global profile as his exploits have transcended the world of darts.
He may have fallen just short of achieving sporting immortality, but this is just the beginning for Littler and his time will surely come, with many tipping him to become a multiple world champion.
He said: “It’s been unbelievable, I just wanted to win one game and come back after Christmas, that was the only goal I set, so this is a massive bonus.
“No one likes losing, I have not really lost much, so to lose on that stage I can’t really be angry, the only thing I am angry about is that I lost a lot of legs on my throw and I was just chasing Luke.
“I have won six games here so why can’t I go and win seven here in years to come. I have gained a lot of experience and stage experience, I am in the top 32 now so I could be in everything.
“The past three to four weeks have been unbelievable and now I just can’t wait to go home.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t give the crowd what they wanted.”
It is a landmark success for Humphries, who has now won four of the last five major tournaments after an incredible few months.
He has now won his last 19 matches and will be seeing this as the start of a period of possible domination as he is playing at a level no one can currently compete with.
But the 28-year-old knew he had to seize his chance because, with Littler around, he might not get many more.
“I could not put into words how great this feels,” he said. “I was thinking I had to win this one because he (Littler) is going to dominate world darts. When I was on the brink of winning he was relentless.
“He is an incredible talent and I had to win this one tonight, he is going to win plenty that’s for sure.
“It is something I never believed would happen to me. Incredibly pleased to have achieved something that I have always dreamed of.
“Luke showed incredible grit and determination.
“We will never ever see the likes of him again at that age, to go up on the world stage and produce those darts in the final, I love the kid to bits, he is a real credit.
“I hope he plays in everything because it is special.”
Former world champion John Part has warned Luke Littler that he will face a “shock to the system” following his heroic run at Alexandra Palace.
The 16-year-old debutant set the World Championships alight over the last fortnight and was one win away from making history.
But Littler fell at the final hurdle as Luke Humphries, 28, took a scintillating 7-4 victory.
Despite his defeat, teenager Littler looks set to be handed a lucrative place in the Premier League, which kicks off next month.
But three-time world champion Part told Sky Sports: “It’s going to be a bit of a shock to his system when he (Littler) goes back to the behind-closed-doors tour environment after being spoiled by all this attention.
“I know he’s done a lot of that just to get here, with the development tour and youth championships, but it’s going to be a new grind for him.”
Littler had a throw at double two to move 5-2 in front in the race to seven. Instead, Humphries stole the set and then reeled off the next five to lift the Sid Waddell trophy for the first time.
Part, 57, continued: “He (Littler) played a really good match and had one really pivotal point with the missed double two.
“But he played great throughout the whole tournament and in the final. He didn’t win it and has got to look forward now.
“He’s so pragmatic and has such an understanding of the game. You can tell he absorbs a lot watching and learning from the top pros and he’s ready to handle it himself now. Luke Littler will be a feather in people’s cap if they can beat him.”
Littler’s run to the final has transcended darts and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak posted on ‘X’ following Wednesday’s showpiece.
“Congratulations Luke, a great win tonight,” he wrote. “What an incredible final to end a historic championship.
“I know that @lukeh180 and @LukeTheNuke180 will be leading the sport for years to come.”
Luke Littler’s historic World Championship dream ended after he lost in the final to Luke Humphries.
The 16-year-old debutant has set Alexandra Palace alight over the last fortnight and was one win away from producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time by becoming the youngest world champion.
But he fell at the final hurdle and was left in tears as Humphries showed why he is the new world number one with a scintillating 7-4 victory, which saw him lift the Sid Waddell trophy for the first time.
It is a landmark success for the 28-year-old, who has now won four of the last five major tournaments after an incredible few months.
Although this was his biggest win of all, it was not exactly the most popular as the Ally Pally crowd were desperate for their new star’s amazing journey to finish in glory.
Humphries may have been the champion, but Littler received a hero’s reception at the end of the match and he is the story of the tournament.
Life will never be the same for Littler, who now has a global profile, as his exploits have transcended the world of darts.
He may have fallen just short of achieving sporting immortality, but this is just the beginning for Littler and his time will surely come, with many tipping him to become a multiple world champion.
More immediately, he looks set to be handed a lucrative place in the Premier League, which kicks off next month.
He will not have many regrets from the last couple of weeks, but a dart at double two in the seventh set may be one of them as had it gone in he would have gone 5-2 in front in the race to seven.
Instead, Humphries stole the set and then reeled off the next five to claim glory in style.
He has now won his last 19 matches and will be seeing this as the start of a period of possible domination as he is playing at a level no one can currently compete with.
The pair have met before when Humphries beat a then 12-year-old Littler in a pub tournament in 2019 and both have enjoyed a meteoric rise since then.
Littler must have thought he was back in the pub with the way Humphries started as he won five successive legs to give himself darts for a 2-0 lead.
He missed, though, and Littler pounced with 142 and 120 checkouts to level at 1-1.
After ‘Cool Hand’ went 2-1 up, Littler hit back by reeling off three successive sets to lead 4-2.
The seventh set proved pivotal as Littler missed double two to go three up and Humphries, who had earlier taken out the big fish, capitalised to steal it and then drew level at 4-4 after a 121 checkout.
The tide had truly turned and Humphries continued his hot streak to go 6-4 up, which left outgoing referee Russ Bray consoling a tearful Littler, with his opponent finishing the job and sinking to his knees in joy.
Luke Littler has been “smashing them all to bits” on the dartboard since the age of nine.
Littler’s incredible run to the World Championship final at the age of 16 has transcended events on the oche and shocked the entire sporting world, but not St Helens Darts Academy co-founder Karl Holden.
Even esteemed French sports publication L’Equipe, a title not known for its darts coverage, devoted space to hail the teenage sensation after his semi-final demolition of former world champion Rob Cross at Alexandra Palace on Tuesday evening.
Littler’s appetite for hitting 180s and big checkouts on the big London stage are even greater than his well-documented love of kebabs.
But, while his name was barely known beyond his home town of Warrington before the start of the world championship last month, this is no overnight success story.
“He has been coming here since he was nine. We are all very proud,” Holden told the PA news agency.
“When he first came as a kid you could see he was very special and he just got better and better. Every year he was a bit better than the last.
“We put him up to the Under-14s when he was nine, but three months after that he was smashing all them to bits.
“He hardly lost so we said, ‘What do we now?’ We put him into the elite group, which is our best players, and he had just turned 10.”
St Helens Darts Academy members are planning a party on Wednesday to support Littler in his final showdown with Luke Humphries, his fellow Englishman 12 years his senior and the new world number one.
The pair last met in quieter surroundings at a Hayling Island competition in 2019 when Littler was only 12.
Holden said: “Obviously he puts a lot of hours in and we had to tell him to stop coming as he was so good.
“He needed to be playing at a better standard. He was good enough to win men’s tournaments at 13 or 14. And he did. His ability is second to none.
“The best players reach a level in their twenties that he’s reached at 16.
“We’ve produced some good players. Probably about 40 county players, but Luke is something else.
“We’re all behind Luke. It’s not just St Helens.
“Luke is a Warrington man through and through, a big Wire (Warrington rugby league) supporter, and the whole of Warrington is right behind him.”
Littler is known as ‘Luke The Nuke’ and the sale of darts with his name on has exploded in St Helens and Warrington.
So, too, has interest in darts at Padgate Academy, where Littler – who has been regularly serenaded by fans at Alexandra Palace that he has “got school in the morning” – sat his GCSEs last year.
“He’s putting darts on the map at the moment but he’s already done that here at the school,” headteacher Adam McMillan told The Guardian.
“He’s left such an incredible legacy at the school, lots of students have been inspired by him and gone on to be interested in darts.
“Through his sponsors, we were able to get dartboards, and we set up a darts club, which was really well attended. Many students then bought their own dartboards.
“He’s left his mark here but I think the wider impact will be seen in schools across the UK. We’ll see some sort of legacy from all this.”
Luke Littler’s teenage dream concludes when he faces Luke Humphries in the World Championship final on Wednesday evening.
The 16-year-old is the youngest ever player to reach the decider in a remarkable Alexandra Palace journey, but he will face the toughest test yet against the new world number one.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how the players match up.
Routes to final
The pair have had differing journeys to the final. Despite his tender years, Littler has had the most serene path, dropping just six sets. He proved he is already at a level to compete with the very best as he took out UK Open champion Andrew Gilding, walloped five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld and then beat 2018 title winner Rob Cross in stunning fashion.
Humphries’ route has been a little rockier as he was taken to a final-set decider against Ricardo Pietreczko in the third round and then needed a sudden-death leg to beat Joe Cullen in the fourth. He looks to be coming into form just at the right time, though, as he whitewashed Scott Williams 6-0 in the semi-final, producing the 10th best three-dart average ever at the Alexandra Palace, with six 100+ checkouts.
Big scoring
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The teenager created history in his first-round win over Christian Kist by recording the highest average of a debutant at the World Championship and that set the tone for a high-scoring performance. Littler’s three-dart tournament average is 101.82, he has thrown 50 180s and crucially is operating at a 45 per cent success rate on checkouts.
Humphries’ average is slightly down at 99.33, but he has also thrown a half-century of maximums and has taken out 41 per cent of his double attempts.
Unbeaten streaks
Both players are in supreme form and are on long unbeaten streaks. Humphries is the form player in the world and extended his winning run to 18 when he beat Williams to reach the final. It was October 29 when ‘Cool Hand’ last lost, going down to James Wade in the European Championship. He won the Players Championship a week later, which was his third major title in six weeks.
Littler is also used to winning and is unbeaten in 21 matches going back to August in PDC events, which included him winning the World Youth Championship.
Rapid rises
Humphries’ formidable display against Williams in the semi-final saw him climb to the top of the world rankings, leapfrogging Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith. It is reward for his stunning form over the last couple of months, where he won his first major titles. His rise has been rapid, but Littler’s has been meteoric.
The teen headed into the tournament ranked 164 in the world but is already up to 31st. If he can get over the line in the final, he will climb into the top 10.
Luke Littler swept into the world darts final with the support of his beloved Warrington Wolves ringing in his ears.
Super League stars Josh Thewlis and Matty Ashton – as well as the club’s mascot ‘Wolfie’ – were present at Ally Pally to cheer the 16-year-old through his emphatic semi-final win over Rob Cross.
The duo, who presented Littler with a Wolves shirt emblazoned with ‘Littler 180’ on the back, were forced to zip straight back up the M6 for the start of post-season training on Wednesday.
But they marvelled at Littler’s composure on the oche, with Thewlis telling the PA news agency: “It must be pretty daunting for a 16-year-old to be up there on the big stage on his own.
“When I was 16 I was still turning up to training feeling star-struck by everyone, but I had 12 other blokes with me on the field who I knew would be able to help me out.
“Somehow Luke seems to be taking it all in his stride. Any other person in his position would be quite nervous, but he’s so chilled out and genuinely excited by it all.”
Littler has posed with a series of Premier League footballers during his run to the Ally Pally final, but his heart lies with the Wolves where he has been a season-ticket holder for the last four years.
And, having recently renewed his regular seat for the 2024 campaign, he appears to have no intention of using some of his six-figure winnings to splash out on a £15,000 executive box to watch the games in comfort.
Wolves and England star Ashton is no stranger to live darts action and often heads to the big events with his brothers when his rugby league schedule allows.
Ashton, a regular at the World Matchplay tournament in Blackpool, also hailed Littler’s composure and the impact he is likely to make on his home town, where sporting heroes – Wolves excepted – are in short supply.
“It’s great to have someone from the town and so close to the club doing so well,” said Ashton. “Darts is a massive sport and the whole place is really rooting for him.
“When I was 16 I don’t think I would have coped. I’m 25 years old now and I’m still getting used to some sort of media attention. What Luke is experiencing is something else and we’re all so pleased for him.”
Teenage star Luke Littler will stick with his diet of cheese and ham omelettes and pizza as he tries to complete his history-making World Championship dream.
The 16-year-old debutant continued his amazing Alexandra Palace journey by becoming the youngest-ever finalist when he destroyed 2018 champion Rob Cross in the semi-final.
He is now on the cusp of producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time, with new world number one Luke Humphries standing in his way.
Littler has made history with some unconventional preparations, with his love of kebabs also a theme of his run to the final, but it is working for him.
“I’ll keep doing what I have been doing,” he said. “I don’t wake up until 12, in the morning go for my ham and cheese omelette, come here and have my pizza, and then go on the practice board.
“It is what I have been doing every day – if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”
Littler has already proved he is the real deal but produced his biggest statement yet as he downed eighth seed Cross 6-2 in stunning fashion.
He bombarded the treble-20 for 16 180s, produced three 130-plus checkouts and averaged 106.05 in a nerveless performance.
“I haven’t got the words. It’s crazy,” he said. “I have just settled on that stage.
“It has not even sunk in yet. I have surprised myself.
“I have just got to stay focused and be Luke Littler. I have got to be mature and be myself.
“It would be unbelievable if I won it, I only wanted to win one match.”
He will come up against his toughest opponent yet in Humphries, who is the form player in the world.
The 28-year-old came into the tournament by winning three of the last four majors and produced one of the best ever performances at Ally Pally to whitewash Scott Williams 6-0 in his semi-final.
In doing so, he overtook Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith to become the new world number one – but he says becoming world champion would be more meaningful.
He said: “It feels amazing, I would never have imagined myself to be world number one and I did it in style, I was really pleased with the performance.
“I have always said world number one can last a number of months, world champion is forever.”
Teenager Luke Littler will hope his history-making World Championship journey ends in glory when he plays Luke Humphries in the final.
It has been a whirlwind two weeks for the 16-year-old debutant, who is the youngest ever player to reach the climax of the premier darts tournament.
Here, the PA news agency looks at how Littler has stormed through the tournament.
First round – Beat Christian Kist 3-0
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Having earned his place by winning the World Youth Championship in November, Littler’s record-breaking started in his first-round match. The teenage debutant destroyed Christian Kist in straight sets, averaging a mammoth 106.12, which is the highest ever by a player on debut at the World Championship.
Second round – beat Andrew Gilding 3-1
The UK Open champion ought to have provided a sterner test but he was also brushed aside to ensure ‘The Nuke’ returned to the Alexandra Palace after Christmas. His numbers were not as good as his opening-round win, but he became the youngest player to ever reach the third round of the World Championship with another assured display.
Third round – beat Matt Campbell 4-1
The hype was growing around Littler as he resumed his campaign two days after Christmas and the gifts kept on coming as he sent the Canadian packing. It was a mammoth 164 checkout and an impressive doubles percentage that saw him over the line to keep the dream – and the media hype – alive.
Last 16 – beat Raymond van Barneveld 4-1
Littler used to imitate Van Barneveld as a three-year-old so to get the chance to play him on the Alexandra Palace stage was a dream come true. And it was the 16-year-old that played like a five-time world champion as the apprentice demolished the master. He averaged a superb 105.01 and threw nine 180s to prove his credentials as a genuine contender.
Quarter-final – beat Brendan Dolan 5-1
The Littler juggernaut showed no signs of stopping as he demolished Dolan with a superb display. Dolan had ousted former world champions Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson on the way to the last eight but he could not cope with Littler’s heavy scoring and mature matchplay as he again averaged over 100.
Semi-final – beat Rob Cross 6-2
The teenager saved his best for the biggest occasion as he put in a masterful performance to beat 2018 champion Cross – the last man to win on debut. He lost the first set to trail for the first time in the tournament but soon showed he is the player for the big occasion, winning with a 106.05 average and 16 180s to keep the dream alive.
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