Three weeks ago he was still unknown to the general public, but now Luke Littler (16) has become an indispensable part of the daily news. The young feeling with darts is ‘hot’ and everyone wants a piece of it. From David Beckham to boxer Anthony Joshua’s production company, willing to pay millions for him.
I WAIT. This is Luke Littler’s girlfriend
“Luke Littler is getting bigger with the game.”
This is what English football legend and current presenter Gary Lineker said during the Darts World Cup on X, the former Twitter. An obvious truth, because during the World Cup the popularity of the sixteen-year-old Luke Littler quickly reached its peak. On Instagram his followers exploded: from 4,000 to 900,000. And this in the space of a few weeks.
In the finale, a strong Luke Humphries put an end to the ‘happy ending’, but the fairy tale remained intact. A 16-year-old boy who, making his debut at the World Cup, immediately reached the final, fueled by kebabs and pizza. And all this after he was already throwing darts before the age of two, under the instruction of Father Anthony.
Smaller than a nine year old. © Photo News
It’s a fantastic story, for which production companies are already willing to pay a lot of money. According to English media, SBX Studios, the production company of boxer Anthony Joshua, has made a millionaire offer to film Littler’s life story. But there are privateers on the coast. “There is an ongoing battle to buy the rights to the film,” a source told the Sun. “His entourage receives many offers. Joshua’s company is eager to sign him. Anthony thinks it’s an incredibly inspiring story. He’s eager to help spread the word and thinks his offer is the best Littler will get.
People see bread in Littler. The darts phenomenon will have the opportunity to capitalize on his fantastic World Cup debut in the coming months and years. Thanks to advertising deals and personal sponsors – not alcohol or gambling companies (yet), since he’s only 16 – the money could flow. Insiders speak of 40 million pounds. In comparison, the prize money of 230,000 euros for the World Cup is obviously small.
How popular Littler is can also be seen in the sales of his darts at Target. For this you pay around 118 euros per arrow, but the stock is already sold out until next month.
© Photo News
Littler has taken darts to the next level with his story in recent weeks, so it was no surprise that PDC and Sky Sports invited him to the Premier League, the prestigious tournament where eight top players compete every week. Littler will play darts against Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, Luke Humphries, Michael Smith, Nathan Aspinall, Rob Cross and Gerwyn Price. “After the World Cup final my coach took me aside and asked me if I was ready. I said, “Let’s do it.” That opportunity may never come again. It will be an incredible experience.”
There’s a good reason why Sky Sports gave Littler a wildcard for the Premier League. The media company announced that the final against Humphries was the most watched non-football event with 4.8 million viewers.
Littler is sexy and everyone wants a piece of The Nuke. She often appears on television and radio programs and is also popular among even bigger stars. There was the photo with Arsenal players Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale. Tottenham player James Maddison invited Littler to a Spurs match and watched the final live. “And David Beckham texted me before the final,” Littler said. “He said, ‘Once red, always red’.”
© Instagram Luke Littler
Because Littler is a die-hard Manchester United fan. He has already received well wishes and congratulations from Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Luke Shaw. In the meantime he has also been invited to Old Trafford. On Sky Sports, Littler was asked what he thought of his favorite club’s miserable season. “Why are you laughing now?” he asked the presenter, giggling. “It has already been difficult due to the many injuries. Everyone is calling for Ten Hag to be fired, but I would give him time. Who would I buy in January? Victor Osimhen, of Napoli”.
As expected, Littler is alive after his World Cup stunt – what would have happened if he had won? The hype isn’t going to die down anytime soon either. But above all he wants the situation to calm down, he says. “I just want to go home, turn on my Xbox and relax. I want to go back to the real world.”
But with fortunes up for grabs with film projects, sponsorship deals and of course the Premier League from the start of February, it will be a busier few months than ever for ‘Luke the Nuke’. Smaller is just getting bigger.
© Getty Images
I WAIT. Littler: “I want to go home now and turn on my Xbox”
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2024-01-06 00:01:03
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