Teenager Luke Littler wants to “beat even more records” as he continues his dream World Darts Championship campaign with a quarter-final against Brendan Dolan on Monday.
The 16-year-old has burst onto the scene at Alexandra Palace and became the youngest player to reach the last eight when he hammered five-time world champion and his hero Raymond van Barneveld in the last 16 on Saturday.
That set up a winnable tie with Northern Irishman Dolan, who has seen off former world champions Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson in the last two rounds, on New Year’s Day and he is now dreaming of lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy on Wednesday.
If Littler was to win the title it would be one of the greatest sporting stories and he would out-do several famous young achievers.
Pele was 17 when he won the World Cup with Brazil, Boris Becker claimed his first Wimbledon title at 18 while Mike Tyson was 20 when he became heavyweight world champion.
Littler, nicknamed ‘The Nuke’, has not heard of all of those names, including that of 2021 US Open singles champion Emma Raducanu, who his story shares many parallels with, but he believes there is more to come.
“Unbelievable, the names you have just said,” he said. “I know Mike, I only know Pele off FIFA and I don’t know the other ones.
“I have certainly broken the rules and records already but I know if my game is there I can beat even more records.
“My game is there, it is every darting kid’s, man’s, whoever’s dream to win it. I have certainly got the game, it is whatever happens on the day, whatever Luke Littler turns up.”
Littler’s impressive run has seen him hit the headlines around the world and enjoy celebrity status.
Littler and his family received complimentary tickets to watch Arsenal in the Premier League on Thursday night, with Gunners pair Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale asking him for a photo, while players from his beloved Manchester United sent him good luck messages before the match with Van Barneveld.
“It was unbelievable,” he added. “I was walking to my room and one of the security guards from Arsenal said to me Declan and Aaron wanted a picture with me and I just went ‘a picture with me’, and they came out for one.
My game is there, it is every darting kid's, man’s, whoever’s dream to win it. I have certainly got the game, it is whatever happens on the day, whatever Luke Littler turns up— Luke Littler
“They said they have a dartboard up in the changing room. It is crazy for them to want a picture with me, it should be the other way around.
“It was incredible to get the messages, obviously United didn’t get the win (at Forest), but Jonny (Evans) and Gary (Neville) are United legends and Jonny is still playing for us, it was just incredible.”
Rob Cross plays Chris Dobey in the opening match of 2024 while Michael van Gerwen should have too much for controversial Scott Williams and Luke Humphries takes on Dave Chisnall in the other quarter-final.
