He’s stunned the world with what’s maybe the greatest sporting debut of all time! Luke Littler has gone from being an ordinary kid to one of the greatest darts players on Earth. But how did he get here? What’s his secret? And what’s with all the kebab jokes? Read on to find out more about this amazing sporting hero!

Looking for some more sporting facts? Check out these Erling Haaland facts, these Alexia Putellas facts, or for something a bit different have a look at these chess facts! Nice!

Ok, now back to Luke!

1. He’s only 16!

Let’s start with the most important fact – Luke managed to make it all the way to the World Darts Championship finals at just the tender age of 16! He didn’t end up winning, but his story was a huge deal! Everyone loves rooting for the underdog, and a 16 year old darts champ is just the ticket!

2. He’s beaten some big names

On his way to the final Luke trampled over some big dartists! He became the youngest player to win a match at the World Championship with his first-round win over Christian Kist on 20 December. Then he beat five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld to reach the last 16. He followed that up with a 5-1 quarter-final triumph over Brendan Dolan!

3. He beat his sporting idol

Raymond Barneveld – who he beat 4 -1 on New Year’s Eve 2023 – was a childhood hero of Lukes! The age gap is huge too, Luke Littler was born 21 days after Van Barneveld, 56, won the most recent of his five world titles in 2007. Luke said he always looked up to Raymond, and even posted a video of him copying his winning celebration!

4. But he didn’t quite get the title… yet!

Despite his amazing run, Luke didn’t quite manage to get the World Championship title. Littler lost to Luke Humphries (another Englishman), who was expected to win the tournament. Humphries, who is 28 years old, was trailing 4-2 initially but managed to win five sets in a row, securing the title and a €500,000 prize. Littler is sure to try again next year!

5. He could have been the youngest ever

If Littler had defeated Humphries, he would have become the youngest person ever to win the PDC World Darts Championship. But since he didn’t quote make it that record still belongs to Michael Van Gerwen, who won the title at the age of 24 in 2014. With Luke Littler being only 16 years old though – he’s got plenty of time to break that record!

6. He’s being playing darts since he was a baby

Luke’s darts career started when his dad bought him a magnetic toy darts set when he was a toddler! He was still wearing nappies at the time! Since then he’s only got better and better!

7. The start of his career

Since playing with his first toy darts set, Luke carried on throwing those arrows! He said in an interview “I was around six when I got my first 180. My first 9-dart finish came two years ago after we got back from the Isle of Man – so I would have been 13 years old.” What a start to his career!

8. He’s got a supportive family

His parents Tony and Lisa have always been there for Luke – often by taking him to the pub to practise! His parents are hard working, his dads a taxi driver and his mum works in a candle shop. Their support has given Luke the space to become a darts legend, and you can see how close they are!

9. He’s from the North West

Luke comes from Warrington – a town in Cheshire. Luke is true to his roots and is a big fan of rugby, which is maybe the biggest sport in the town. Luke might have changed that though – Warrington is a darts town now!

10. He’s really popular

Luke has quickly become a household name – which is something that not all darts players can say! He’s done this through skill, but also by being really down to earth and kind of an average kid. Great work Luke!

11. He’s got a lot of followers on social media

Luke’s super fast rise has been a viral phenomenon all by itself! He’s taken the internet by storm and has now got thousands and thousands of fans on every platform. The numbers are still going up, and he’s been made into memes and will no doubt keep fans glued to their phones for a long time!

12. He’s a normal kid when he’s at home

When he’s not out winning trophies and breaking records, he’s still a regular kid! He’s just done his GCSE’s, and loves having a laugh with his mates and playing Xbox. The only difference is now he’s world famous!

13. He’s got some very famous fans

With his huge rise in followers, Luke is now supprted by a whole bunch of famous sportspeople – including some of his own heroes! Footballer Declan Rice has already asked him for a selfie, and no doubt more big names will be keen to congratulate him when he keeps on winning (which he will)!

14. He’s got a lot to look forward to

Reaching the final at the age of 16 is a ridiculous achievement – and Luke is planning on ditching all plans of college or university to focus full time on darts. This means constant practise with the best in the world – which means he’s pretty much certain to up his game! So Luke has a lot to look forward to, and so do his fans!

15. He celebrated with a kebab!

Maybe the biggest thing Luke has done to get the love of his fans (apart from win matches) is his love for kebabs! At the end of every match he celbrates with a kebab – not from anywhere fancy, just the local kebab shop! He goes for a simple doner meat and lettuce, with loads of mayo. Which doesn’t sound particularly athletic to us, but it shows how down to earth he is! And his fans love him for it!