16-year-old Luke Littler's guaranteed huge pay day after reaching quarter final of World Darts Championship
"He’s got school in the morning," is what darts fans were singing as 16-year-old Luke Littler continues to make the sporting world sit up and take notice following his historic World Darts Championship win.
The teenage sensation is the youngest player ever to reach the last eight after defeating his hero Raymond van Barneveld in a 4-1 win.
He breezed past the five-time world champion who he used to idolise as a kid.
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“It’s incredible beating one of my idols on the biggest stage of all, I still can’t believe it,” the lad from Warrington said.
“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.
“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 will take on Brendan Dolan in the quarter final and is expected to pick up a hefty cheque, even if he doesn't make it any further.
If he loses, he'll receive an eye-watering sum of £50,000 and if he wins he will earn £100,000 in the semis.
Reaching the final will see him earn £200,000 and if he manages to go all the way he'll get a whopping £500,000.
Littler started darting 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: Sport, UK News, Luke Littler
Anish Vij