02 January 2024 , 16:45
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Luke Littler will pay for all his mates to enjoy the rides at either Blackpool or Alton Towers following his success at the PDC World Darts Championship.
The 16-year-old has already broken several records en route to the semi-finals at Alexandra Palace, with some now tipping him to go all the way. Littler recently saw off Raymond van Barneveld, one of his childhood idols, and now faces former champion Rob Cross in the last four on Tuesday night.
When he reached the last 16 he knew he'd guaranteed himself a pay day of £35,000 and he was quizzed on how he'd spend his winnings; revealing he'd pay for all his pals to enjoy a stellar trip away.
He told talkSPORT : "All my friends are watching at home, we've always said we need to go Blackpool or Alton Towers so I think they will be looking at me like 'you're paying, Luke' and I'll be like, yeah, okay!"
Littler has far more cash to splash now he's made the last four with a guaranteed £100,000 coming his way. He's captured the attention throughout his journey and his confidence has grown with the teenager now claiming it will take a strong display to halt his momentum.
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"It's going to take a lot to stop me," he said. "It feels unbelievable. I never thought I would have got to the semis on my debut year. It's crazy watching myself at 18 months or two years old in a nappy, but it has all paid off. One day we went to a shop with my parents and I pointed to a magnetic dartboard because they look similar. The rest is history."
Cross, who won at Ally Pally back in 2018, won on his debut at the tournament so knows what Littler will be going through. He spoke glowingly about his opponent but was ready to turn on the focus when they faced off on the oche.
Luke Littler has marched into the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship (PA)He said: "Everyone loves an underdog story. It took a bit of pressure off me winning it first time as well. He's fantastic and he deserves all the luck in the world - he is a nice young boy. Tomorrow we play darts, though, and I have to go down to business."
Littler's meteoric rise has seen his popularity skyrocket and the darts sensation was recently invited by James Maddison to watch Tottenham in his box. "I've been to an Arsenal game, I went to a Tottenham game - people come up to me. I don't know who these people are but they know me," he said. "It is a good feeling and I will always take a picture with anyone.
"I was in (Tottenham midfielder) James Maddison's box. It was good to meet him, get a few pictures and meet his family. It was really nice."