Stardom beckons for the 16-year-old prodigy but, as the new face of darts, Littler faces a hectic schedule on and off the oche
The dust is still settling on Luke Littler’s extraordinary performance at the PDC World Darts Championship, but attention is already beginning to turn to just how far the 16-year-old’s unquestionable talent can take him. Fortunately, those who have been captivated by his arrival as a major player do not have long to wait to discover what is next.
Already no stranger to an unprecedented situation, Littler will begin 2024 – his first year as a professional – inside the world’s top 32 thanks to his run to the Alexandra Palace final, which earned him £200,000 in prize money. It is a remarkable achievement for a player who has, to date, played in two PDC majors – his other big-stage appearance in 2023 was in the UK Open in March when he lost in the fourth round to Adam Gawlas, earning £2,500. He will return to Butlin’s in Minehead in two months as a seeded player but there are plenty of arrows to be thrown and plenty of events to be won before then.