Luke Littler hit back perfectly at Van Gerwen with Masters win before turning 17
Luke Littler's Operation Desert Storm was a major success – and now the birthday boy wants to cram his diary with as many tests as possible.
The teenage sensation of darts turns the ripe old age of 17 on Sunday - old enough to start driving lessons, but he threw away his L-plates on the oche long ago.
A stunning triumph at the Bahrain Masters, where he lifted the Palm D'Or trophy on his debut as a Professional Darts Corporation Tour card holder, confirmed what we already knew: This kid is special.
And after a perfect nine-darter against practice partner Nathan Aspinall, followed by a 'big fish' 170 checkout against Gerwyn Price and a stunning 8-5 win against three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen in the final, he said: "I cannot wait to play in everything."
Littler went to last month's PDC World Championship ranked No.164 in the world earmarked as a bright prospect. In four weeks, he has taken down five ex-world champions in two tournaments, reached the final at Ally Pally, banked £220,000 in prize money and shot to fame as the poster boy of darts.
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His next assignment, the two-day Dutch Darts Masters on Friday, will be a trial by decibels with Van Gerwen playing on home soil. But there was a delicious irony to Littler's latest triumph – which added to his one million followers on Instagram – because MVG had waved away Luke the Nuke's bandwagon at Ally Pally, cheerfully pointing out: "He's won f*** all."
Well, Michael, he's lifted the first trophy of the season now, although even the Warrington whizzkid was surprised to strike gold in the desert. He said: "I wasn't expecting anything. I just came over to Bahrain, thinking I wanted to win my first-round game and see who I would play in the next round.
"But I have won all my games and got over the line against Michael, who is still one of the very best, and now I cannot wait to play in everything.
Luke Littler got the better of Michael van Gerwen on Friday (Getty Images)"My manager asked me after the World Championship final, 'Do you want to play in the Premier League? It's gruelling every week, and obviously, you have got the Pro Tours (floor tournaments) in between.'
"I said, 'Let's do it – why not? It may never happen again.' That's how I look at it – take these opportunities, they may never come round again. Now I've won on my World Series debut, I can't wait for next week in Holland, but I haven't set any goals and I don't want to.
"My only set goal was to win a game at the Worlds, which would have been a big thing on its own, and I got to the final. I have to take every competition as it comes, game by game, and see who comes out the winner."
Littler's performances at the World Championship and his nine-dart party piece in Bahrain have already convinced the old-timers that he's here to stay.
Former world champion Keith Deller, awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List, posted on his Twitter/X page: "I thought we would only see one Phil Taylor, but it looks like another one is coming. The PDC have the biggest gem in world sport in Luke the Nuke – he has all the top boys thinking how to stop him in the next few years."
Luke Littler turns 17 on Sunday (Getty Images)Van Gerwen was gracious in defeat on Friday night but he joined another multiple world champion, Gary Anderson, in warning Littler his fame will be accompanied by a cacophony of peripheral noise.
MVG said: "Everyone says he is a new kid on the block, but everyone knew what he is capable of. The crowds, the television companies, everyone wants to make him bigger – but he's already a good player.
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"I know you want to push him, but let him grow, let him do his things, don't push him too much. Of course, we all know he's a good player, but give him his time and everything will come, no problem."
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