Luke Littler, 17, wins World Darts Championship with Michael van Gerwen mauling

The Prince of the Palace has been crowned as King.

Luke Littler, 17, was untouchable at the Alexandra Palace oche as he taught Michael van Gerwen a darting lesson. Mighty Mike headed into Friday’s evening showpiece appearing to be back on his very best form.

But Littler, as he has for the rest of the season, didn’t really care for his opponents form – there is nothing they can do in the face of his scoring power. The Nuke, from the very first dart thrown, set the pace of the encounter.

It was a scrappy first set, that Littler emerged from in the lead, before the Nuke put him to the sword in the second. It was his trusty D10 that was leaving the Dutchman in the dust as the third set also fell to Littler.

Set four came and went and Van Gerwen was still in the shadows before he finally his back in the fifth. However, it only poked the bear, Littler came and started to unload on the T20 segment.

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Van Gerwen was able to get a second leg, but this time it was on throw as he struggled to match Littler. It wouldn’t matter, and another leg went Littler’s way as he pinned D20 and put one hand on the Sid Waddell trophy.

The Dutchman rallied once more, refusing to go down without a fight, but Littler can firing back, almost popping the cork with a champagne finish. With D16 left and three darts in hand, Littler was crowned.

Littler was in tears as what had just happened began to dawn on the super talent. The Nuke is now the youngest ever winner – besting Mighty Mike’s record when he won his first Sid Waddell trophy at just 24-years-old.

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Littler, for the first time in his darting career, looked like a boy as he struggled to find the words to describe what he had just achieved.

“I can’t believe it, honestly, I can’t believe it,” Littler told Sky Sports. “We both played so well. I need to get off to quick start tonight and that’s what I did.”

He added: “I’ve said in interviews that I needed to get off to a quick start tonight and that’s what I did. But he was behind me the whole game, those cover shots – he’d hit two trebles and I’d have to come back with two or three.

“Everyone dreams of lifting this trophy. You’ve got to get through a tough field. I can’t believe it.

“I keep saying it but that first game against Ryan Meikle [in round two] was the one that really mattered, and throughout I’ve just settled.

“At 2-0 up [in the final set] I started getting nervous but I said to myself to just relax. I was throwing for the match and to get it over and done with then was special.”

The era of Luke Littler is here.