There was a final flick of the fingers, before the fists began to pump and soar, and the tears started to flow across 17-year-old Luke Littler’s face. No wonder. The most famous teenager in the country had just become the youngest world champion in darts history.
Over the past 13 months, Littler has repeatedly defied the rules of sporting gravity, rising from an unknown 16-year-old ranked world No 164 to its star attraction. Now, incredibly, he is also the PDC world champion after a thumping 7-3 victory of the three-time former winner Michael Van Gerwen, which also earned him a £500,000 cheque.
