Luke Littler's dad stopped him playing his favourite sport at the age of nine so he'd focus on darts

Luke Littler's dad stopped him playing football and convinced him to focus on darts in a move that ultimately paid off.

16-year-old sensation Littler has come from nowhere to become the biggest name in darts.

In his debut tournament, he embarked on an incredible run to the World Darts Championship final, where he was beaten 7-5 on sets by Luke Humphries after a thrilling final.

Littler surrendered a 4-2 lead but still took home a massive £200,000 in prize money for coming second.

He has been playing darts since he was a toddler and competing at youth and development level before getting his shot at the big-time.

But his first love was football and he grew up supporting Manchester United, who had a number of players send messages of support to Littler.

“I didn’t realise I was going to be this good, I played football beforehand, every kid, every young person wants to be a footballer.

Littler's dream XI in his lifetime showed his knowledge of the game and he was also a promising player in his early days.

Image: Getty

However, despite how much he enjoyed playing, Littler's dad, Anthony Buckley, persuaded a 9-year-old Luke that darts would be his route into superstardom.

He told BBC Radio 2: “My dad said, ‘hang your boots up let’s focus on darts’. I was like, ‘I love it though’.

“My dad said, ‘I think your ability to be a professional, you’ve got high chances.’ Six years later here I am.”

Image: Getty

The Warrington teenager is set to be a household name in darts for years to come and is set to make his Premier League debut imminently.

Littler has been announced in the eight-person lineup for the Premier League of Darts 2024, which gets underway in Cardiff on February.

In an interview with The Times, proud dad Anthony elaborated on the conversation he had with Luke and the sacrifices made along the way in his journey.

Image: Getty

He said: “He was a good footballer. He loved football. All kids do. But I said to him at nine, hang your boots up.

"Concentrate on darts. You can still play football here and there. But if there’s a darts comp on at the weekends, go to darts first.

"Make that your priority, because I thought he could make it at darts — and he has done.

"When I said to him, you need to keep playing darts, he was OK with it. We put him in every competition that was online.

"Sometimes you’re getting up at 7am on a Saturday — my only day off — just to play darts. There were no lie-ins."

Littler's girlfriend, Eloise Milburn, is also a darts fanatic and plays for the Surrey Women's Darts side at the Walton Working Men's Club.

Littler has pledged to help her reach his level in the near future.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, he explained: "Yeah, obviously I’ve just played in that one, so hopefully I can practise with Eloise and try and get her to where I am."

Topics: Luke Littler, Darts

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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