The 16-year-old teenager – although apparently a few years older – is a favorite topic of conversation in British homes at the beginning of the year, after he became a finalist in the world darts championship, a specialty with a large following in the country.

It is called Luke Littler, whose face has become ubiquitous thanks to his impeccable career at the World Cup of Darts held at Alexandra Palace in London, where he eliminated much more experienced players than him.

‘Luke the Nuke’ has fascinated the country with his naturalness, temperament and maturity, but above all with his precise aim, in a sport that has become almost a religion in countless British pubs.

His precociousness broke all records: the youngest finalist to date was Kirk Shepherd, who was 21 when he reached the final round of the World Cup in 2008. If he wins the title tonight, he would surpass the previous record holder by more than eight years, Michael van Gerwen , who did it at 24.

Until this championship, where he also broke the record for the youngest winner of the game, Littler played only four matches on the professional circuit (PDC).

A sensation in the media and networks

The British media does not stop publishing pictures of Littler who is still like a baby and is already practicing with magnetic darts at home.

They recount in detail his passion for kebabs (a London restaurant offered them for life) and his relationship with a 21-year-old girl who, according to tabloids, sings with a voice like the superstar Adele.

But it was on social networks that the player caused a real sensation, as evidenced by the 528,000 fans who follow his triumphs via Instagram, and how much he managed to collect with only 14 posts.

His followers are even some famous footballers like the talented Tottenham Hotspurs midfielder James Maddison, with whom he took a picture in the team’s dressing room in front of the footballer’s jersey number 10.

On

On Christmas Day, he responded with a smiley emoticon to this user message: “If I hear one more ‘Luke Littler doesn’t look like he’s 16’ comment at dinner, I’m going to start throwing sausage rings across the room like darts.”

Brilliant trip

He won more than £200,000 (€230,000) in the World Cup where he reached the quarter-finals, although he was beaten by Luke Humphries in the grand final.

His coach at St Helens Academy, where Littler began training, Karl Holden, explained to the BBC that by the age of 10 it was clear to everyone that he stood out well beyond his age.

“Before I was 11, I was already playing with the under-21s, simply because I was too good for everyone else,” Holden said.

Now, a month after turning 17, the ‘nuclear bomb’ wants to go all out to become the new sporting icon of a nation that can’t wait to find them… even if it’s by throwing darts.