It’s not often a teenager becomes the face of a sport dominated by veterans and legends who have won multiple World Championship titles.

Englishman Luke Littler has done just that in the world of darts at just 17 years of age.

Littler stormed onto the darts scene at the 2024 PDC World Darts Championships at Alexandra Palace where he became the youngest darts player ever to reach the final.

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His barnstorming run saw him defeat the likes of five-time World Champion and idol Raymond van Barneveld and former world number one Rob Cross.

He’d announced himself on the biggest stage of all when he was just 16 years old.

As of late May, Littler had won a staggering £648,500 from throwing darts alone, the equivalent of over $A1.25 million.

That’s an obscene amount of money for a 17-year-old to have at his disposal and the best part is – he’s saving most of it, only spending a little bit on Under Armour tracksuits and FIFA packs.

Now, the darts phenomenon has arrived on Australian shores, ready to make his mark in Wollongong for the Australian Darts Masters as he tries to clinch yet another televised title.

He spoke to foxsports.com.au before the tournament which starts on Friday.

HOW DARTS BECAME HIS PASSION

Littler knew straight away that darts was the sport for him. He was first introduced to the sport when his dad, Anthony, bought him a magnetic darts board at just 18 months old.

“He took me into a toy shop, and we picked up a darts board and from then on that’s all I’ve wanted to do,” Littler told foxsports.com.au.

Some of the Littler family’s earliest darting memories include Luke giggling and playing darts while still in nappies.

Luke the Nuke was built for the big stage.

Littler is an avid football watcher and a self-confessed Manchester United super fan and like most English kids growing up, played plenty of football.

“I loved playing football growing up,” Littler said.

“Football was my main other sport, but it didn’t really work out.

“My dad thought I should stop playing football and turn my attention to darts.”

Littler joined the St Helen’s Youth Academy when he was eight and stopped playing football around the age of nine.

“He saw lots of potential in me with my darts. I listened to him, and it’s certainly paid off,” Littler said.

“I was always practicing at home, my dad found me some darts leagues throughout the week, I just got involved with loads of different teams.”

Appearing on AFL 360 on Wednesday night, Littler said he took his game to another level during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he would practice for up to six hours a day.

“When we first had COVID, I must’ve been 12-13, I was non-stop every day, five six hours every day on the board, I didn’t stop practicing,” he said.

“When we got out of COVID I started winning loads of titles and here we are today.”

Littler’s parents are his two biggest fans, and the darting prodigy credits the both of them as key influences in his career so far.

Another is his childhood coach Karl Holden, who once claimed Littler was a “freak of nature” and the “Ronaldo of darts”.

“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,” Holden said in an interview with The Sun.

Littler is as humble as they come and while he’s been thrust into the spotlight given his exquisite performances at the oche and wholesome personality, he doesn’t forget his roots and those who have helped him get to where he is today.

THE BREAKTHROUGH

Littler’s run at the 2024 PDC World Championships was no fluke.

Any thoughts that the barnstorming tournament was just a flash in the pan was put to bed when he won the Bahrain Darts Masters just weeks after the World Champs finished up.

Littler became the youngest man ever to hit a televised nine-darter during his quarter-final clash against close friend Nathan Aspinall before defeating darts legends Gerwyn Price and Michael Van Gerwen on the way to his first World Series title.

The nine-darter is the holy grail in the darts world and Littler’s now lost count of how many he has hit.

He made a second consecutive World Series final in the Netherlands and has put together some strong form in the Players Championship as well.

But he believes his breakthrough moment came in the exclusive Premier League.

The Premier League features eight of the world’s biggest darting superstars and despite his ranking of 23rd in the world, Littler gained entry due to his strong performances and cult hero status.

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He topped the table across 16 weeks with some scintillating darting drama at the oche.

“I think gaining entry into the Premier League was a bit of a breakthrough moment,” Littler told foxsports.com.au.

There were concerns around the darting landscape that giving Littler an opportunity in the Premier League at such a young age could be detrimental to his career. Could a youngster deal with such a heavy schedule and so much pressure so early on in his career?

To borrow a quote from the great football commentator Alan Shearer – “Pressure, what pressure?”

“I proved a lot of people wrong with that. It was great to get my hands on that title,” Littler said.

“It was very tough, playing every week for 16 weeks, but that’s what the Premier League is, and I was determined to get through it.

Littler silenced the critics, performing consistently across his debut Premier League campaign that eventually culminated in winning the title.

Littler said winning the Premier League was the “best night of my life”.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

“It was a weird feeling because people were saying I wasn’t good enough.”

Critics were worried the condensed schedule of the Premier League would see Littler burnout. But the reality is, he just loves throwing darts.

“I just love it, I want to keep going,” he said.

It’s clear, he’s had a taste of success and his hunger for more has never been stronger.

“We all know it’s a busy schedule, but I just want to keep doing it. I just want to keep on going,” Littler said.

WHO IS LITTLER THE PERSON?

Wondering how much does an athlete at the peak of their hours spends honing their craft?

Littler says he practices on the board for just an hour each day.

Littler loves to spend time playing video games with his friends and is a part of the infamous FIFA Pro Clubs team Girth N Turf FC, where he plays online with a range of sporting and YouTube icons including soccer champion Wayne Rooney and rapper Aitch.

“It’s just what I love to do,” he said.

“It helps me to chill out. I’ve always loved playing video games.”

The tungsten terminator’s favourite food is curry, he’d love to visit the Maldives one day and if he wasn’t a darts player, he’d probably be playing rugby.

Littler says he is “very excited” to make his debut on Australian soil later this week and noted how the World Series continues to see the sport improve in popularity.

It’s scary what Littler has managed to achieve so far, and what might be to come.

BECOMING THE NEW FACE OF DARTS

The impact Littler has had on the visibility on darts cannot be understated.

Kids are genuinely interested in a sport that has long been associated with middle-aged men in pubs.

His part in boosting the popularity of the sport has not been lost on Littler.

“It’s been absolutely crazy,” Littler said.

“It’s been a whirlwind, ever since the start of the year.

“It’s been growing in every other country, especially near where I grew up with younger people getting involved.”

While Littler’s achievements are grand, he says the likes of three-time World Championship winner Michael Van Gerwen and world number one Luke Humphries have also played a big role in growing the sport.

“It’s changed my life,” he said.

“I try to stay grounded. The people around me help to remind me of that. It’s something that’s stuck in the back of my head all the time, I don’t want to change that.”

2024 Australian Darts Masters

August 9-10, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong

PDC Representatives

Luke Humphries (England)

Michael Smith (England)

Gerwyn Price (Wales)

Rob Cross (England)

Peter Wright (Scotland)

Luke Littler (England)

Dimitri Van den Bergh (Belgium)

Damon Heta (Australia)

Oceanic Representatives

Simon Whitlock (Australia)

Haupai Puha (New Zealand)

Brenton Lloyd (Australia)

Rob Modra (Australia)

Stuart Coburn (Australia)

Joe Comito (Australia)

John Hurring (New Zealand)

Jeremy Fagg (Australia)

You can catch darting sensation Luke Littler in the Australian Darts Masters live on Fox Sports 505 or stream via Kayo from 7pm Friday night.