Luke Littler breaks down in tears after World Championships heroics as darts sensation ready to face hero van Barneveld
TEEN SENSATION Luke Littler broke down in tears with his latest PDC World Championship victory – and told his mum: The dream is ON.
And as he tucked into a late-night kebab, dreaming of the £500,000 top prize, the 16-year-old tungsten ace roared: Bring on my hero Barney.
Emotional Littler won 4-1 against Canadian Matt Campbell, 33, to become the youngest person to reach the fourth round of the Ally Pally Worlds.
The qualifier will face either Raymond van Barneveld or Jim Williams on Saturday but he said: “Playing Raymond would be unbelievable.
“Win or lose, I’ll still be happy with making the last 16.
“I started crying when I saw my mum in the crowd. She was nervous. I saw her with her head in her hands. I said to her: ‘The dream continues.’ She said the same thing.”
Warrington teen Littler will pick up a minimum of £35,000 for winning three matches in a row and for becoming the youngest person in the event’s 30-year history to get this far.
Should he now overcome Welshman Jim Williams or his hero, Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld, on Saturday, then he will be in the last eight, which increases the prize pot to £50,000.
But after his title odds have tumbled from 150-1 to 10-1, it will take something special to stop him as he seriously eyes the £500,000 jackpot on Tuesday January 3.
Littler celebrated with a mayo-rich doner kebab and is planning a shopping spree before his next appearance at world level.
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Watched by his mum Lisa, who had missed the opening two matches due to work commitments, Littler said: “I’m happy to get over the line.
“I can win with the lowest average of the tournament and I would be happy to get through.
“When I won my first and second games, against Christian Kist and Andrew Gilding, I thought to myself, I have never nothing to lose. I have overachieved. I can settle.
“On Thursday, I will stay in hotel, chill out, treat myself to some shoes and pants. Then on Friday, I will see who I will play in the next round.”
When the winning dart on double 20 was nailed against the Ginga Ninja, Littler turned to the Ally Pally crowd and roared: “Who wants to see me get another kebab?!”
Littler, the reigning world youth champion, spent Christmas Day playing on his Xbox, like most normal 16-year-olds across the country did.
Yet this is no ordinary teen and with each match against men almost twice his age he is showing remarkable composure and temperament.
Even when world No.57 Campbell – who flew home to Ontario over Christmas – won the fourth set, Littler regrouped backstage and then averaged 110.44 in the final set.
Littler took out checkouts of 164 on the Bullseye, 130 and 100 and averaged 97.19 across the five sets.
This represents the most lucrative tournament he has ever been involved with.
His previous highest individual payday had been two separate payouts of £27,500 during the Modus Super Series in Portsmouth.
The former schoolboy said: “This is unbelievable, I only wanted to win one game, but I’ve won three games and I’m so happy.
“I let my darts do the talking, everyone on social media says, he’s only 16, but I just let my darts do the talking.
“When I went two-nil up against Matt, I tried to calm myself down because last time it didn’t go too well. But I stayed composed and got over the line.
“I missed the crowd over Christmas. I was watching the highlights of the darts every day.”