Michael van Gerwen congratulates Luke Littler (Image: Getty)
New world champion was urged to keep showing his emotion on stage by after beating the Dutchman in the final. In what turned out to be a one-sided affair, the teenage sensation , converting a 4-0 lead into an eventual 7-3 victory.
After taking out double 16 to seal his moment of glory, and put his head in his hands.
Van Gerwen meanwhile, was dignified in defeat, congratulating the youngster and putting his arm around him before appearing to offer some advice.
Both players were full of praise for each other afterwards, with Littler conceding his opponent wouldn’t let him ease up by being “right there behind him” throughout the match. And speaking after receiving the Sid Waddell Trophy and coming off stage, he revealed what “MVG’ said in his ear.
“Yeah, he said just enjoy it,” Littler told . “But then he went over slightly to the side, and he said ‘keep crying boy, keep crying’.”
In 2014, at the age of 24, van Gerwen became the then youngest winner of the . That record stood until Friday night with Littler precisely 17 years, 11 months and 22 days old when he reached his destiny.
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Littler was in tears straight after his win. (Image: Getty)
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It comes less than eight months after Littler also captured his first Premier League title, winning the tournament on his first attempt. And after breaking the marker of the Dutchman, the Warrington-based star admitted he found the stat hard to take in.
“He’s like 30-odd years old and I’m 17, but to break his record is crazy,” he said. “If I didn’t do it tonight I could have still done it, but to do it how I did was unbelievable.”
Littler has now been tipped to go on and shatter all kinds of records in what promises to be an illustrious career. Many have already touted him to challenge Phil Taylor’s haul of 16 world titles, a notion that Van Gerwen himself was once widely predicted to achieve.
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Where to buy Luke Littler’s darts
Luke Littler is heading to the latter stages of the WDC, and you can emulate the 17-year-old with a set of his Target G1 Swiss Point darts for £99.95. You can also upgrade to the gold Prodigy darts for £129.95.
There is also a more affordable Loadout 90% Tungsten darts for £45.90. If you need something to throw them at, Amazon has reduced the Luke Littler Cabinet & Dartboard Set to £59.99.
The now seven-time finalist had his chances against Littler, but couldn’t match the teenager’s 102.73 average and 56 per cent checkout rate. And he joked that the new champion made him feel every bit of his age.
“Every chance he got and every moment he had to hurt me, he did,” he said. “I’m 35, he’s 17. Every 17 years, a star gets born. I’m an old b**tard compared to him.”