For two weeks, Luke Littler had the darts world, and more recently everyone else, in giddy thrall, wondering the same question: could this ostensibly normal teenager from Warrington, who likes pizza and playing Fifa on his Xbox, conquer the world?
On Wednesday night at Alexandra Palace, we got two answers. Firstly, yes: Littler has magic in his fingers and steel in his heart. He has the personality to thrive on stage in front of 3,200 merry revellers chanting his name. He might already be the most talented 16-year-old on the planet, given how close he is to the pinnacle of human endeavour in his chosen discipline. He has all the raw ingredients to become a multiple world champion.
