He has earned more than £1.1 million in prize money over the past 12 months but Luke Littler is determined to stay grounded after becoming the youngest world champion in darts history.
The 17-year-old, from Warrington, lifted the Sid Waddell trophy on Friday with a convincing 7-3 victory over three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen.
It was a dominant display that summed up his remarkable form of late. Since arriving on the professional scene, Littler has lifted 10 PDC titles including the Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts.
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Many would agree that he deserves to be classed as the world's best based on stats but even after such a successful run at the Alexandra Palace this winter, Littler has refused to describe himself as the best.
In fact, the youngster has revealed he will "never say" those words.
“I won’t say I’m the best," he told reporters after the World Championship win over Van Gerwen. "Maybe stats wise I might be the best, but I’ll never say it."
Van Gerwen, meanwhile, has described Littler as a generational talent following his performances at this year's PDC World Darts Championship.
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Speaking to Sky Sports after losing to the teenage sensation, he said: "I come 4-0 behind and after that I didn't do myself justice but that's the way it is.
"You need to try and fight and battle back but after coming back from 4-0 down I was definitely not the worst player out of us but fair play to him. Every moment he got to hurt me, he did.
"I sometimes say that every 17 years a star gets born and he is one of them.
"Don't get me wrong, I had a lovely tournament. I've been battling my own game but that's how it was. In the beginning of the game I was letting myself down too much, especially against a player with his ability, and with his performance you are going to be in trouble."
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Van Gerwen added: "He did well and he deserves it. Of course it hurts but that's how it should be. If it doesn't hurt, you're not going to be a sportsman.
"I have to move on, I have to make sure I keep playing better. I'm an old ******* compared to him! I have to take this on the chin. I wasn't sharp enough at the beginning of the game."
Topics: Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, Darts
Jack Kenmare