Inside Luke Littler’s unprecedented 2024 as teenager, 17, manages feats Phil Taylor couldn’t and changes darts landscape
Share:
LUKE LITTLER has enjoyed quite the year. From Premier League titles to BBC Sports Personality of the Year nominations, the 17-year-old has firmly established himself as one of the most popular rising stars in the UK. Just over one year ago he burst onto the scene at the World Darts Championship with little to no expectations on him.
![[Luke Littler has enjoyed an incredible breakthrough year]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/luke-littler-england-celebrates-victory-960649166.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Fast-forward 12 months and Littler is now the favourite to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy this Friday. Littler arrived at Ally Pally last year as a 66/1 outsider on the back of winning the World Youth Championship. An unknown quantity to the casual darts viewer, the Nuke became popular for his incredible maturity on the oche.
![[Littler came second on his World Championship debut at the start of the year]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2023-24-paddy-power-world-869618199.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
But away from the stage and the spotlight he continued living the life of any other teenage lad, eating kebabs and playing FIFA on his Xbox. That was, until, he booked a spot in the Premier League. As a result of his incredible run at the World Championship - where he beat Christian Kist, Andrew Gilding, Matt Campbell, Raymond van Barneveld, Brendan Dolan and Rob Cross on his way to the final - he immediately became considered among Europe's elite.
![[The Nuke won the Premier League Darts title on his first attempt]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NINTCHDBPICT000955892329_d8030e.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Despite losing 7-4 to Luke Humphries in the final, Littler helped make history by drawing a record audience for Sky Sports. BELOW is a list of Darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions.
