Luke Littler etched his name into the history books by becoming the youngest winner of the PDC World Darts Championship on Friday night.
The 17-year-old beat Michael van Gerwen at Alexandra Palace, breaking his record as the previous youngest winner in the process.
The Dutchman was 24 when he took his maiden title in 2014, but bowed to a new sense of sport on the biggest stage.
Littler was visibly emotional after his 7-3 win and it capped a superb campaign that has seen him win another 10 titles in 2024.
But this is darts’ biggest prize and the Englishman admits he has been dreaming of lifting the prestigious trophy.
Speaking after the win, he said: “Everyone dreams of lifting this trophy. You have to go through a difficult field. I can’t believe it.
“I learned a lot. Last year in the semis against Rob Cross, that was the first time I went 1-0 down and then obviously against Luke.
“I can’t believe it” 😳
Luke Littler reacts to winning the World Darts Championship 🏆 pic.twitter.com/awETtwP3cD
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) January 3, 2025
“But tonight and throughout the tournament, I just had to start fast.
“Earlier today, I watched the whole game with Luke and had the visions.
“I could end 2025 winning absolutely nothing, but I’ve got the best (award).
“I want to get more than 10 titles this year, but if I finish 2025 with nothing, I’ve got the big one.”
Van Gerwen humbled by defeat
Van Gerwen didn’t play badly on the night, but he couldn’t live with Littler’s average and high finish rate.
A win for him would mark an incredible turnaround after a difficult year for the Dutchman, but he was still proud of his efforts.
“Every 17 years a star is born” ⭐️
High praise from Michael van Gerwen for the new champion 🙌 pic.twitter.com/uy0ExXyCGJ
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) January 3, 2025
He said: “4-0 down and after that I thought I wasn’t doing myself any wrong, but that’s the way it is.
“You have to try to fight and fight back and I think after going 4-0 down, I was definitely not the worst player from us.
“But fair play to him, every chance he had and every moment he had to hurt me, he did.
“I had a great tournament and enjoyed every moment of it. We all know I’ve come a long way and I’ve been struggling with my own game, but at the beginning of the game I got really frustrated and when you do that against a player of his ability, you’re going to be in trouble.
“You have to take it on the chin, move on and walk off the stage as a champion. I always take my hat off to the people who beat me and if they beat me in a good game it should be fair play to them. That’s how sports work.
“I’m 35, he’s 17. Every 17 years a star is born.
“He deserves it, he played well. It hurts, but it has to be. If it doesn’t hurt, you’re not going to be an athlete. I have to move on and make sure I keep playing better.”
Van Gerwen’s consolation prize is a cool £200,000, while Littler takes home a whopping £500,000.
