Luke Littler’s rise has been compared to that of Wayne Rooney as he climbed 162 places in a record year and won more than £1m in prize money.

Luke Littler’s journey from being on Ally Pally for the first time to today is nothing short of remarkable.

The teenage prodigy first took the stage last year as a 16-year-old prodigy who was unknown to the world, with a skill that had been applauded by experts for years.

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He was ranked 164th in the world and without a PDC tour card, but he The opening win over Christian Keys It began what proved to be a whirlwind Christmas and New Year for exciting talent.

Littler attracted a lot of attention for his incredible run to the 2024 World Championships final, but he Denied the first appearance in the story Matches by Luke Humphreys

But in the space of two weeks, ‘The Nuke’ became a superstar, a true rock star and earned his permanent place in the world of darts.

His lowly position on the PDC merit badge was short-lived, as an incredible year at the pinnacle of the sport followed.

The fact that he was a teenager was easily forgotten, given how relaxed and at ease he looked as he wowed the crowd with his tungsten magic.

Littler won ten PDC titles in 2024, including the Premier League, Grand Slam and World Series of Darts Final.

He has now moved up in the rankings and is in second place on the PDC Merit Rankings.

This has seen him climb from an incredible 164 to No. 2, up 162 places and he’s still only 17.

And in his biggest career match to date, Littler won an extra £500,000 with a Big win against Van Gerwenwon 7-3 at Alexandra Palace on Friday night.

‘MVG’ has won three world titles in his career and is arguably the second most successful player in the history of the sport. Phil Taylor.

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He first emerged as a similar young superstar, becoming the sport’s youngest PDC World Champion at the age of 24. Peter Wright to claim the crown in 2014.

But Littler broke the seven-year record after taking the iconic darts to the cleaners.

talkSPORT pundit and former PDC player Paul Nicholson believes the teenager’s emergence is equally rare.

He told talkSPORT.com: “In the space of a year, to see him almost at the top of the table is unbelievable.

“It’s almost like Wayne RooneyHe climbed to the top of this sport.

It’s unprecedented, but in this day and age, it’s about looking at opportunities.

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“Junior Darts has provided opportunities and competition for young stars like Littler to decide what to do next.

“Having seen Littler hit a nine-darter when he was a kid in Gibraltar, we all thought he might be better than the others.

But I think being in pressure situations where he can’t seem to fumble has just continued.

It doesn’t matter what the prize scene is, he just wants to act.

And if he can play and not feel the pressure, the limits are limitless.”

Van Gerwen was and still is seen as an inspirational figure in the sport.

Their conflict will no doubt haunt current and future generations, and attendance records are expected to fall again.

But Nicholson believes that Littler himself has been shown this path to success by previous greats, including Van Gerwen himself.

“It’s quite remarkable. Nicholson said: We have had some great young stars in this sport over the years.

Michael van Gerwen was 24 years old when he won his first world title in 2014.

And maybe what he did then will inspire kids to start this sport.

That could include Littler, who first picked up a dart at the age of seven.

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Littler would break more records for years to come.

“Not every kid comes along and is as good as Luke,” Nicholson added.

There are great young players who have great potential.

“But to do what he’s doing now is fantastic, but the only way to know if someone can is to be in touch.

“The inspirational side that Luke has brought to darts is incredible and who knows what will happen next.”

“But let’s just go along for the ride.”

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adjust talkSPORT For coverage of the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship Final from 7pm on Friday, as we bring you exclusive live commentary from Alexandra Palace. Listen through us Web playerapp, on DAB or through your smart speaker.