Luke Littler in line to become millionaire shortly after 18th birthday

Luke Littler has earned hundreds of thousands of pounds since breaking onto the darts country past year, and Matchroom icon Barry Hearn reckons he's connected the verge of becoming a millionaire

Luke Littler is acceptable to go a millionaire astatine the property of 18, according to erstwhile PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.

The 17-year-old's emergence to superstardom has been speedy and fast, toasting occurrence aft occurrence since bursting onto the country past twelvemonth erstwhile helium made it to the last of the World Darts Championship. While helium was yet bested by 7-4 Luke Humphries astatine Alexandra Palace, helium has gone connected to marque up for that decision – and past some.

The Nuke has racked up a whopping £364,500 successful tourney winnings according to the PDC's Order of Merit - putting him 21st successful the rankings. That fig besides doesn't see his winnings for non-ranked events, including £315,000 crossed the Premier League, £80,000 for his World Series of Darts titles success, positive different non-ranked tournaments.

Given those astronomical numbers, it is possibly nary astonishment that Hearn is predicting the youngster could go a millionaire adjacent year. Speaking connected The Barry Hearn show, helium admitted: "Yeah I deliberation it could beryllium this year. Yeah I deliberation so. I americium pre-judging his performances, but I'd beryllium amazed if helium didn't to beryllium honorable with you.

"There is darts players retired determination already earning good implicit £1million - £2million per twelvemonth arsenic it is. That is wherever the athletics has got to and for Luke and the sport, it is lone conscionable the beginning. We've got opportunities to commercially grow that sport, and the joyousness erstwhile these kids faces.

"Without gathering Luke Littler up excessively much, helium is 1 of them stars who radical place with." Littler is acceptable to crook 18 travel January 21, but contempt his age, helium has achieved a wealthiness of occurrence that a fig of seasoned pros person lone dreamed of.

Littler followed up his world title disappointment by winning the Bahrain Darts Masters successful January. But that was super-ceded by his performances successful the Premier League, wherever helium finished apical of the array earlier beating Luke Humphries connected finals night.

His astir caller TV occurrence saw him assertion the World Series of Darts, beating Michael Smith 11-4 astatine the AFAS Live successful Amsterdam. He has besides won the Belgian Darts Open, Austrian Darts Open, the Polish Masters and a big of Pro Tour events successful a hugely palmy debut play with the PDC.

Littler's slope equilibrium looks acceptable to proceed to turn successful the coming months with big-money tournaments including the World Series of Darts and the Grand Slam connected the horizon. Then it's the instrumentality of the World Darts Championship, wherever the teen volition find himself among the dense favourites to instrumentality him the £500,000 prize.

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