Luke Littler was on cloud nine at Ally Pally as he became the youngest ever darts world champion.
The 17-year-old hammered three-time champion Michael van Gerwen 7-3 to cap a memorable year that ended with darts’ biggest prize.
Not only that, but he also took home £500,000, a sum that possibly hadn’t sunk in until it was announced to the thousands in attendance and millions watching at home.
Littler, who was world no.164 at the start of 2024, was seen puffing out his cheeks as his achievements were read out and the money was added to the £1 million in prize money accumulated over the course of the past 12 months.
Littler was in tears as the final double 16 landed and he banished the heartache of 2024 when he was beaten by Luke Humphries in the final.
He won ten titles in 2024, including the Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts but it was the Sid Waddell trophy he craved.
He said he had learned a lot since that loss and then revealed he’d re-watched game.
“No one will know this but earlier today I watched all of the game back against Luke [Humphries] and I had the visions,” he said afterwards.
“At 2-0 up I started getting nervous but I said to myself, ‘just relax’.
“I was throwing for the match but to get it over and done with was special.”
Fans will be wondering whether this is the start of a period of domination for Littler and there are claims he could one day surpass Phil Taylor’s record of 16 world titles.
He certainly showed he is the real deal in north London.
Van Gerwen had caused Littler more trouble than anyone else on the tour in 2024 but the teenager got the better of proceedings when it mattered the most.
He averaged 102.73, threw 12 180s and took out 56 per cent of his doubles.
A new legion of fans fell in love with darts in 2024 after he stormed to the final as a 16-year-old with a record 3.71m viewers watching on TV.
It will almost certainly be more – even if the match was over in under 30 minutes as he raced to a 4-0 lead and ensuring Van Gerwen’s wait for a title went on.
“Fair play to him, Van Gerwen said in his post-match interview.
“Every chance he got, every moment he had to hurt me, he did it. I sometimes say that every 17 years a star gets born, and he is one of them.”