Luke Littler reveals why TOILET BREAK was behind nine-dart finish during historic Premier League Darts final win
LUKE LITTLER celebrated an incredible nine-dart finish after a key LOO BREAK as he became the youngest-ever Premier League Darts champion.
The Warrington ace, 17, broke down in tears as he banked £315,000 following a 11-7 victory over world No.1 Luke Humphries in the O2 Arena final.
ReutersLuke Littler celebrates after beating Luke Humphries last night[/caption]
PAThe 17-year-old scooped a £315,000 jackpot with his thrilling win at the O2 Arena[/caption]
Following a quick bathroom trip during the TV ad break after 10 legs, Luke the Nuke hit a magical moment of perfection in leg 11 in front of a record PDC UK crowd of 14,000.
Littler revealed: “When it went 2-0 to me, I needed the toilet. I had to wait until the break.
“I went to the toilet. I thought, this is it, we are on until the end. Let’s do it.
“All of us players love a break and then come back on and do what we do.
“It’s so good to win in front of my family, girlfriend and manager. I don’t know what to do with this trophy.”
The stunning nine-darter was the first one hit in a Prem final since Phil Taylor struck two in the 2010 finale against James Wade at Wembley.
It means he has gained sweet revenge for losing to Humphries back on January 3 in the final of the World Darts Championship at Ally Pally.
As he collected the pyramid-shaped trophy, Littler roared to the punters: “One thing I want to say, for all the doubters: ‘Hello, I have just picked up this…’
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“You’re not doubting me anymore. Best night of my life? 100 per cent, yes.
“I couldn’t believe it. When I went over to Luke, he said: ‘Go and celebrate with your family.’
Fans sang “Walking in a Littler Wonderland” as he emulated the likes of Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson by succeeding on his debut appearance.
Littler – the most famous darts player on the planet – received £275,000 for this stunning triumph at the climax of the eight-player invitational tournament.
He will also get a £40,000 bonus for the four nightly victories, which saw him top the table.
The Sky Sports production team had a right mare as the TV scoreboard graphic froze and disappeared for two of the opening three legs – so nobody watching knew what the score was.
Littler, who thumped Michael Smith 10-5 in the first semi-final, managed to cope with the adrenaline of a nine-darter to secure victory in leg 18 on double tops.
Humphries, who beat Van Gerwen 10-5 in the other semi, cut a frustrated figure, claiming there was a draught on stage which was affecting his throw.
The Berkshire thrower, who banked £165,000 in tournament prize money, said: “I tried to stick in there. There was a massive breeze all night to deal with. Credit to Luke, he handled it well.
Inside Littler’s massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship.
The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way.
He has since joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE.
The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire.
He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle.
And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal.
The wonderkid has now cemented his place among the tungsten elite by winning the Premier League Darts final – and the £275k top prize.
Check out all of our Luke Littler stories here.
“He played much better. He is a fantastic player. Me and Luke are the two greatest players in the world.
“I love playing him. He deserved it throughout the season.
“We’re living in a Luke world and hopefully we will have a lot more battles like this.”
Littler ditched the Fifa console during the hour-long break before the final and went on the practice board.
He added: “I’m just enjoying it at the moment and we’ll see what the future brings.
“I was watching this at home on the telly 12 months ago.
“It’s been a crazy six months. I’d get stopped a lot in the street but that’s all part of it and I imagine that will happen a bit more now!
“Tonight was probably the most I’ve practised in a long time. I’m very proud of my achievements – the practice has paid off.”
