‘I watched Luke Littler stay – there was a way you have been seeing one thing particular’

Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou; Tiger Woods at Augusta; Luke Littler at the Ally Pally.

Luke Kenny had just completed the biggest win of his career, in the final Saturday session before the Christmas break, taking the scalp of world No.32 Raymond van Barneveld – but there were no eyes on him.

For better or for worse, those in attendance, at the iconic venue, had already cast their eyes towards the walkway. By the time Kenny was leaving the stage, bouncers were already turning fans away from getting any closer to where Littler would make his entrance.

There was a sense in the air you were about to see someone truly special.

Littler, at just 17-years-old, has transformed darts – and it has never been more evident than it was on Saturday (December 21) evening. There was almost a hush as he made it way to the walkway, that would be soon met with a eruption of noise as Pitbull’s Greenlight engulfed the Palace.

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Chants of ‘there’s only one Luke Littler’ soon replaced Pitbull’s hit.

It’s a lot of pressure for the young man – with the weight of the darting world on his shoulders, he’s not just fancy to win every game, it’s expected. Littler was in tears at the end of the match, after producing one of the all-time great World Darts Championship sets.

I must confess, I didn’t know he was averaging so high, in hindsight I probably should have. Littler nailed six perfect darts in one leg, before eight in the next – narrowly missing the D12 for a record-breaking nine darter.

The crowd were willing the darts to hit the section, urging the tungsten to bend the wire, in a moment that would broken sound records inside the famous venue.

But it wasn’t to be.

The crowd started to dwindle after Littler’s dissection of Ryan Meikle – who himself could only smile and shake his head. Many in search of a boozer to watch Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Uysk’s rematch.

They’d all seen the man they come for, the man who’s celebrity status is unlike anything this sport has ever seen.