Luke Littler vs Luke Humphries LIVE: Teenage sensation slips to defeat in World Darts Championship final

Teenage sensation Luke Littler‘s fairytale run has seen him make it all the way to the World Darts Championship final as he faces Luke Humphries with the title on the line on Wednesday evening. But how much will tonight’s winner earn?

The World Darts Championship final should be made free to view so as many people can watch teenage star Luke Littler compete as possible, ministers have been told.

The Liberal Democrats suggested it would be “scandalous” for the game not to be aired on ITV and the BBC, as well as on Sky Sports, which is broadcasting the sporting event.

Luke Littler has been “smashing them all to bits” on the dartboard since the age of nine.

Littler’s incredible run to the World Championship final at the age of 16 has transcended events on the oche and shocked the entire sporting world, but not St Helens Darts Academy co-founder Karl Holden.

Even esteemed French sports publication L’Equipe, a title not known for its darts coverage, devoted space to hail the teenage sensation after his semi-final demolition of former world champion Rob Cross at Alexandra Palace on Tuesday evening.

Littler’s appetite for hitting 180s and big checkouts on the big London stage are even greater than his well-documented love of kebabs.

But, while his name was barely known beyond his home town of Warrington before the start of the world championship last month, this is no overnight success story.

While tonight will mark the coronation of a new darts star with both men chasing a first World Championship crown, it will also be an occasion to bid farewell, with referee Russ Bray overseeing his last final after nearly 30 years as one of the most familiar voices in sport.

Luke Humphries, meanwhile, has the backing of Leeds United, the 28-year-old Berkshire-born but named after the Elland Road club.

“I think everyone knows I am named after the club, that’s no secret,” Humphries explained to the Championship side’s website. “My dad named me Luke, which stands for [L]eeds [U]nited [K]ings of [E]urope. I am not from Leeds, but the club really was in me from birth. It was great in the early years of my life, then we had a patch of hard times, but I really feel we’re now on the up as a club again despite what happened last year.

“Our fans are the best in the world, there is no doubt at all about that. The support and commitment they show is something I think that holds everyone together, and sets us apart from everyone else. Following the club has been a massive part of my life and will continue to be.”

Luke Littler has attracted plenty of sporting support during his run to the final, with a number of Premier League stars getting behind the 16-year-old. A big Warrington Wolves fan, Littler can also count on the backing of a few of his childhood heroes, with a couple of the Super League club’s top players in attendance at Ally Pally last night.

Of course, Luke Littler is far from the first sporting wunderkind. Here are a handful of other prodigies who have made their name on the sporting stage at an early age.

Luke Littler gave a big hint that he was going to take the sporting world by storm when he was just three years old.

The 16-year-old from Warrington has enjoyed an historic run to the final of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, becoming the youngest player to ever do so.

Nicknamed ‘The Nuke’, he is just now one win away from producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time.