Luke Littler won the PDC World Darts Championship on Friday night at the age of 17 and is set to earn a fortune in the sport over the next few years
After Luke Littler’s meteoric rise to the world darts final last year at just 16, fans were left questioning if he was a one-hit wonder. However, the young talent proved he’s not going anywhere after clinching victory in Friday night’s gripping championship face-off against Dutchman Michael van Gerwen, 35.
Now, ‘The Nuke’, as Littler is known, is predicted to rake in £50million over his career if his winnings, sponsorships and endorsements keep up their current pace. Despite losing the final to Luke Humphries last year, the 17 year old pocketed £1m in prize money and is thought to have bagged an additional £2m from lucrative sponsorship deals.
Today, the Mirror has exclusive snaps of Littler exiting London’s Alexander Palace with his family following his semi-final triumph on Thursday. Sponsorship and marketing consultant Nigel Currie commented: “It’s just perfect timing for Luke.
“Darts continues to grow and it’s lucrative for all players, especially top ones. The TV viewing figures are incredible and the money is pouring into the sport like never before.
“It’s an unbelievable story to have such a young player at the top. He earned over £1m in prize money last year, and I suspect at least the same in sponsorship money, if not more.”, reports the Mirror.
“That is only going to get bigger and will make him a very rich young man indeed. The sky is the limit.
“A lot of potential sponsors will have been holding back last year, waiting to see if it was a fluke tournament. But he has proven he is here to stay. He will be the pin-up boy of the sport for many years. The sponsors will be queuing up.
“Darts players can play into their 40s and still be at the top of their game. And there is a high chance of cracking the American market.
“Every sport needs heroes. Snooker had Alex Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan, tennis had John McEnroe. Now darts has a hero in Luke Littler.”
Phil Taylor, considered the greatest player in the sport’s history, amassed £12m over a 36-year career. However, most of his victories came during a period when the sport wasn’t as popular and the prize money was significantly less.
Currently, Van Gerwen is the wealthiest player, with a net worth of £9m.
Luke Littler, who hails from Runcorn, was relatively unknown outside the world of darts just over a year ago. However, all eyes were on him last year.
Known for his love of kebabs and pizzas, he was spotted vaping outside Ally Pally on Thursday, the venue for last night’s final.
However, former darts champion Dennis Priestley, 74, has cautioned him to take care of his health for a long-lasting career. He advised: “While he’s young, Littler can get away with bad habits. He should shed some weight. To keep on the treadmill of darts, he may have to go on a treadmill of his own.”
Littler, the recent recipient of the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award, has been residing in a rented flat in London. In October, he relocated to a lavish mansion in Warrington with his 40 year old mum Lisa Littler, who works in retail, and his dad Anthony Buckley, 43, a taxi driver.
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