16-year-old Luke Littler boosts tournament earnings with sensational quarter-final win
Luke Littler has increased his tournament earnings after advancing to the semi finals of the World Darts Championship.
The 16-year-old already made history when he became the youngest person to make it down to the final eight.
Fans chanted 'he's got school in the morning' as Littler defeated his childhood hero and five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld in a 4-1 victory.
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The victory saw Littler's prize money from the competition double.
The lad, from Warrington, said at the time: “It’s incredible beating one of my idols on the biggest stage of all, I still can’t believe it.
“I think I am daring to dream now, I have seen the draw.
“I am only three wins away now. I’m so young, only 16 and I have got nothing to fear, I have got no-one to fear, my game can be better than anyone’s on the day and I have shown it there against one of the greatest who have graced that stage.
He continued: “With performances like that I can go all the way.
“I’ve pictured myself winning it. I look at the draw and see Brendan next and then Chris Dobey against Rob Cross in the other quarter.
“I fancy myself. I do fancy myself.”
Born in 2007, which will make you feel incredibly old, Littler was not even alive when Van Barneveld won the last of his five titles.
Video footage has emerged of a three-year-old Littler copying ‘Barney’s’ celebration and has admitted it was a dream to play him on the Ally Pally stage.
The right-handed darts player added: “It is unbelievable, 13 years ago I was doing his celebration throwing on my little board and I have just beaten him on the biggest stage.
“Barney said to me at the end, ‘You can go all the way. I hope you go all the way’. I said, ‘Thank you’.
“He is a true gentlemen. I respect Raymond very well.
“Raymond was incredible. It was incredible to see his iconic walk-on, I am so glad I got the job done. It wasn’t easy.”
The teenager has now beaten Brendan Dolan in the quarter final, securing a 5-1 win.
Afterwards, he said: "It's gone well today. Another tonne-plus average. I've got a good chance. Now I'm dreaming. I'm two matches away. I'm dreaming of winning the title."
Now in the semi final, Littler is set to take home a whopping £100,000.
If he makes it to the final that will increase to £200,000. Then, if he manages to go all the way he will walk away with a staggering £500,000.
Littler started playing darts when he was a toddler, and judging from a video found of him during that time, he wasn’t a bad player even then.
15 years later and the champ has gone on to become a sensation in the Paddy Power World Championship - with incredible wins over the likes of Dutch professional Christian Kist and the UK Open champion Andrew Gilding.
And the PDC World Youth Champion has performed so well up against more experienced players - cementing the teen as one of the favourites to win the tournament.
Topics: News, Sport, UK News, Luke Littler
Kit Roberts