'You can't get your head round it': town in awe of a new kind of hero

As Luke Littler took to the stage at the Alexandra Palace in London for the world darts championship, the young players 200 miles away at St Helens Darts Academy - where he started his sporting career at nine years old - screamed their support.

- Jessica Murray

They sat with bated breath as they watched their former club mate and new idol battle it out for the biggest title in darts. At just 16 years old, he is the youngest ever player to make it to the final of the World Darts Championships.

Every throw was watched intently, every miss saw people put their head in their hands. Soon, chants of "there's only one Luke Littler" broke out. "I'm so proud of him, he's only 16 and from a small town, so it's a massive thing for him, and for us," said Jack Callaghan, 10, who like many of the children in the room was wearing a darts shirt emblazoned with his name.

"It's unbelievable, I can't even explain it," said Jack Evans, 11.

"Thinking that he's only five years older than me, you can't get your head round it." Littler was already a hero in these parts, even before his astonishing rise to global fame in recent weeks.