From unknown teen to world number one – Littler’s rise in his own words

Rewind two years and very few people outside of the darting world knew of Luke Littler.

But at midnight on Sunday he will officially become the world number one, 11 months after being crowned world champion.

Littler became known to a wider – and non-darts – audience during the 2024 World Darts Championship in December 2023 and January 2024.

He beat former world champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross on his way to becoming the youngest world finalist at 16 years and 347 days. He lost the final 7-4 to world number one Luke Humphries.

“My first ever World Championships, as a 16-year-old boy. The tournament as a whole was really good – making it to the final aged 16 was an incredible achievement. It’s one of the memories that will live with me forever.

“I was looking into the crowd, I was ready to get onto the biggest stage of them all with millions watching.

“I didn’t have many expectations, just try to win that first game on my debut and then see what see what goes on from there… and it was pretty good.

“Luke Humphries was crowned world champion. We had a cracking final – I did miss double two to go 5-2 up which would have been a massive advantage.

“I don’t remember too much but I do remember after we finished I said to him, ‘go over to your family, go and celebrate’.

“That year I was very happy to make the World Championships and win my first game. To get to the final was a massive boost, it got me up the rankings and I was invited to the Premier League.

Littler didn’t have to wait long to win his first major PDC title though, with victory in the Premier League in May 2024. The Premier League sees the top-four ranked players in the world, plus four invitational players and, after his success at the Worlds, Littler earned a spot.

He won four of the 16 regular league nights and then beat Humphries 11–7 in the final of the play-offs at London’s O2 Arena to become the youngest player to win a major PDC tournament.

He even hit a nine-darter – the minimum number of darts needed to complete a leg – in the final.

“This is a very good picture! Hitting double 20 to win the Premier League.

“It was a very long 16-week format, it’s been the same again this year, but to win it on debut – 17 at the time – and to beat Luke was a bit of payback from the World Championships.

“My first major title was a good one.

“It was a massive moment with my mum and dad afterwards. There were obviously doubts about whether I was ready to play in the Premier League but I came out on top. To share it with my mum and dad was even better.

Littler’s popularity and stardom extends far wider than a darts audience. He was invited into Tottenham midfielder James Maddison’s box during his first World Championship campaign and did a Hot Lap around Silverstone with Lando Norris before the British Grand Prix in 2024.

He is an avid Manchester United fan and has visited their training ground to play darts against the players, while he has attended matches as a guest, meeting Sir Alex Ferguson and Bruno Fernandes, and he paraded his World Championship trophy earlier this year.

“Another good one. Lando Norris helping me put my helmet on before the Hot Lap at Silverstone, where he drove me around in a very fast McLaren!

“I never thought I would be in a car with one of the best F1 drivers there is at the minute but he took me round in the car, I played some darts with him as well – just a really good experience.

“Then at the Spurs game last season, on my way to the car I saw Bruno [Fernandes] and I had to get a selfie with him.

“He’s one of my favourite players. He’s not missed a game through injury yet, provides goals and assists and he’s definitely helped us the past few seasons. This year he’s helped us avoid relegation!

“Meeting the United squad last year and Carrington, meeting Sir Alex Ferguson – they’re crazy experiences and I thank Man Utd for the opportunity.

After his World Championship success, Super League’s Warrington Wolves – his hometown club – renamed their ground for a game, while he has also met singer Pitbull in Dublin, with the teenager using his song Greenlight as his walk-out song throughout his career.

“The Luke Littler Stadium. This is another one that is near the top – having Warrington Wolves’ stadium named after me. A good night overall and I’m glad we got the win that night!

“It was a massive honour. It was good to go and see us win.

“And then, I think, this is the link-up that everyone wanted to see! But for myself, as a Pitbull fan and walking out to one of his songs that he did at WrestleMania 33, when I was there as a fan. It was good to see him and it was a great show in Dublin.

Littler became world champion on 3 January 2025 with a 7-3 victory over Dutchman and three-time winner Michael van Gerwen. It made Littler the youngest world darts champion, aged 17 years and 347 days. He beat Van Gerwen’s record, from 2014 when he was 24.

It saw Littler move past £1,000,000 in prize money and took him up to a career high world ranking of second, behind Humphries.

“Look at him crying there! Yeah, obviously one of the biggest achievements of my career so far. Winning the Sid Waddell Trophy and becoming world champion by beating Michael van Gerwen.

“You could see there that I still couldn’t believe it.

“I was coming into the tournament ranked two or three in the world but even the first game against Ryan Meikle was hard enough.

“To pick up the trophy and beat a very good Michael van Gerwen in the final… it meant everything.

Littler’s defence of his Premier League crown went pretty smoothly in the 16-week league phase.

He broke the record for nightly wins, which was four, by winning six events. He also finished on 45 points, five more than the previous record.

He beat Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals but in a repeat of the 2024 final, Humphries had his revenge with a 11-8 win at O2 Arena.

“This was in Leeds in the Premier League this year and Nathan Aspinall missed seven or eight darts to go 5-3 up, I hit my double to make it 4-4 and it was basically me saying to the crowd ‘cry more’!

“It’s just for myself. Being a sportsman, doing stuff like this and just being myself, letting my emotions out – especially the Leeds crowd.

Having become just the fifth player to complete darts’ triple crown with victory at the World Matchplay, Littler moved ever closer to the world number one spot by claiming the World Grand Prix title.

Once again, he found himself up against Humphries in the final but after so many close contests, this one was a demolition job with Littler triumphing 6-1 in Leicester.

Success at the ‘double-in and double-out’ tournament put him within touching distance of the world number one spot.

“This is my time and I’ve just got to keep going. Obviously, until I get that world number one spot, I will never call myself the best in the world.

“Whoever’s number one, they’re the best. But knowing I’m only £70,000 in prize money behind Luke, and then he’s got to defend all of his prize money from the Grand Prix, the Players Championships and the World Championship.

After a whirlwind first couple of years on the tour, the last thing for Littler to accomplish was the world-number-one ranking.

Humphries had topped the PDC Order of Merit since winning the 2024 World Championships but Littler had been gradually chipping away at his rival’s lead and eventually completed his ascension at the Grand Slam of Darts.

He won 10 of the last 11 legs to beat Danny Noppert in the semi-finals and secure top spot in the rankings, even before the final against Humphries.

“It is has not even been two years that I’ve been on the tour and I’m already world number one. That is job done – I am world number one – but there is a bigger match tonight,” Littler told Sky Sports.

“I am the best in the world. No matter what, I’ve said it throughout the year that Luke Humphries is the best in the world. No matter if you go out in the first, second or third round you are the best in the world.