Littler is a big deal

Among them, a place on darts' top circuit, lucrative sponsorship deals, a spot on the sofas of talk shows, messages from superstars like David Beckham and an audience with Alex Ferguson at a Manchester United match at Old Trafford.

Two weeks ago, Google announced that Littler was Britain's most-searched sports star in 2024, and the third most-searched person, behind Kate Middleton and President-elect Donald Trump and just ahead of recently elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the king.

Last week, Littler returned to London's Alexandra Palace, the boisterous venue for the 2025 World Darts Championship, which runs until Jan 3, as a winner of 10 tournaments around the world — including titles in Bahrain and Amsterdam — as the world No 4; with his prize money for 2024 up to around 1 million pounds ($1.28 million); and with 1.3 million followers on Instagram, up from 4,000 before last year's worlds.

On Saturday, Littler set a tournament record with a 140.91 set average, as he secured a second-round win in the world championship with a 3-1 victory over fellow Englishman Ryan Meikle.

"I can't lie, I was nervous on my world championship debut," said Littler, who threw his first dart — onto a magnetic board — at 18 months old. "But, this year, I've won a lot of titles. I've hit nine-darters, and I come in now with a lot more confidence, and playing better than last year.

"It's still my first year, what I've done is incredible, but, also, it's work, and there's money to be made and titles to be won."