LUKE LITTLER says parading the Sid Waddell Trophy at Old Trafford was one of the highlights of his life. Diehard Manchester United fan The Nuke earned an invite to their home Premier League clash with Brighton last month. The Red Devils lost 3-1 on an emotional occasion for the club as legend Denis Law had passed away days earlier, aged 84. Littler, 18, became darts’ youngest world  champion by beating Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in the Ally Pally final at the start of this year.

And celebrating at half-time with fellow United fans was special. He said: “It was probably one of the best moments of my life and will live with me for ever. “I was scheduled to parade the trophy before kick-off but Denis Law had passed away. There was an empty seat there where Denis would have sat on matchday. “I sat behind Sir Alex Ferguson and was  chatting to him for a  bit, which was good. It’s one of the best things I have ever done.”.

At United — suffering one of their worst-ever top-flight seasons — there is enormous scrutiny on the players to perform every week. Littler, who boasts 1.8million Instagram followers, knows what that pressure feels like and  has a target on his back now at the oche. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. Asked if he had any advice for United’s young stars on coping with fame and fortune, he said:  “I just don’t listen to social media — that’s one of the big  things.

“In the football world, it’s totally different. You have  to keep your head down. When it’s a darts game, you are on your own. When it’s United, you have a whole team around you, so must stick together.”. The world No 2 travels to Belfast today for tomorrow’s opening night of the Premier League Darts. This is the start of 16 consecutive Thursday nights of  action involving eight top players.

The head-to-heads are spread across seven countries before the play-offs at London’s O2 on week 17. And the defending champion’s quarter-final opponent in Northern Ireland is Van Gerwen, who will be eyeing revenge for Ally Pally. The Warrington lad, who won the Prem title in 2024 in his debut season, said: “What I did in my first year on tour was unbelievable. “With all the trophies and  major titles that  I have to defend, you know what to expect. It’s going to be a very long year.

“We play some tournaments behind closed doors. Us players rather play in front of a crowd. Here is all the prize money Luke Littler has won so far after being crowned 2025 PDC World Darts Championship winner:. World Championship 2025 - £500,000. World Championship 2024 - £200,000. Grand Slam of Darts 2024 - £150,000. European Tour - £91,000. Player Championships events - £71,500. Players Championship final runner-up - £60,000.

UK Open 2023 + 2024 - £17,500. World Matchplay - £10,000. World Grand Prix - £7,500. European Championship - £7,500. (Unranked) Premier League Darts - £315,000. TOTAL: £1.43 million. “This is the only sport where the fans are always behind you [as you throw]. It does add that  pressure. “But I absolutely love it when there are tens of thousands of fans in the arena — and I can’t wait for the Premier League to begin.

“There’s  pressure  to defend the trophy but it’s a long 16 weeks. As long as I get in the top four, I go to the O2 for the semi-finals.”. Littler’s United joy comes after the ace had a STADIUM named after him — but only for 24 hours. His local rugby club — Warrington Wolves — will honour his achievement by renaming the Halliwell Jones Stadium for their Super League opener against the Catalan Dragons later this month.