Featured Image Credit: Jayden Walker
Topics: Darts, Luke Littler, World Darts Championship, Spotlight
Josh Lawless
Topics: Darts, Luke Littler, World Darts Championship, Spotlight
Luke Littler has taken over darts in stunning fashion but a new sensation could be set to dominate the sport - and he's already scored a victory over world No.1 Luke Humphries.
Jayden Walker comes from a darts family as his mum Jamie Lee and grandmother Wendy both play at county level.
But after throwing his first 180 at the age of five after his dad built him a wooden frame with a dartboard, Walker has appeared destined to go to the very top.
Representing Dorset county, he made his professional debut at the age of 11 when he squared off against 2024 World Darts Championship semi-finalist Scott Williams.
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And in December 2024, Walker made a huge statement when he got the better of Humphries, the Premier League darts champion and the best-ranked player in the world, in an exhibition bout.
'Cool Hand' Luke was stunned by what his saw as Walker racked up a 102 average in a 2-1 win and couldn't help but give him some words of wisdom afterwards.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with SPORTbible, Walker revealed: "He [Humphries] said to me to keep practicing keep doing what I am doing and he also said that I was 'the best 12-year-old he had ever seen'."
Humphries had no issue showering praise on the youngster 17 years his senior, tipping him to become "one of the best players in the world" when he turns 18 in six years time while also stressing that he "needs to be nurtured".
The comparisons between Walker and reigning world champion Littler, just six years older, have been non-stop and 'The Nuke' threw his support behind him after seeing his incredible 145 checkout - made up of a treble 20, treble 15 and double 20 - at a Modus Super Series event where he was paired with football content creator 'Angry Ginge' and went all the way.
Littler jumped in the comments on Instagram and wrote, "This kid is gonna be special".
In a short space of time, Littler has become the new face of darts and taken the sport to completely new heights. Walker feels he has benefited from his rise with more opportunities at such a young age and he looks forward to meeting him on the oche for a mouthwatering showdown at some point in the future.
"Like most people who enjoying watching darts I would love to play Luke one day," the wonderkid stated.
"I very much believe that if it hadn’t been for Luke I wouldn’t have been given all the opportunities I have been at 12. I am very thankful to him for that. A dart match needs two players so you would have to ask Luke if he wanted to play me.
"There’s always lots of comparisons made to Luke Littler because I am young. If I want to be world number one I must be better than everyone. I am only 12 so I can’t even think about beating Luke yet. I can only play the opponent I have in front of me. I’m lucky that I have 4 more years of practice."
Walker has been making waves by competing in MODUS events alongside former professionals and competed in an another influencer showdown recently.
But unsurprisingly, the big goal of Walker, who lists Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld as his inspirations, is to participate in PDC events and eventually be crowned world champion.
He explained: "I am very excited to play the in the PDC I can’t wait to play the development tour as if you win that world youth championship you qualify for the PDC world championship, so I am very eager to play in the PDC."
Streaming exclusively on Pluto TV, the MODUS Super Series channel brings fans 24/7 darts content including 104 live matches every week, behind-the-scenes features, and exclusive tournaments. Viewers can stream the event for free across all devices including mobile, desktop, and connected TVs. For more information on the channel and the upcoming schedule, visit Pluto TV's website.