Luke Littler is already mature enough to understand that not every experience in his dart career would be quite as exhilarating as his unforgettable breakthrough into the sporting stratosphere a few weeks ago. But had that thought entered his mind amid a litany of mainstream media attention and worldwide headlines, his first official night as a professional player would have represented a bristling reality check.
Barely a fortnight ago, Littler was playing in the biggest match of them all, the final of the World Darts Championship after a series of astonishing performances that left the world in awe of the 16-year-old’s ability. While he came up short against Luke Humphries that night, Littler is the talk of the sport and is already transcending the game he makes look ridiculously easy on occasions – which is why it was perhaps no surprise that the Professional Darts Corporation wasted little time in cashing in on that momentum.
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