Luke Littler warned he must make 'money sacrifice' in order to become darts legend

Luke Littler has been told by PDC president Barry Hearn he can be ‘one of the greatest-ever darts’ players, as long as isn’t tempted down the wrong path with his new-found wealth.

It’s approaching 12 months since Littler burst onto the scene in emphatic fashion at the World Championships, with the then 16-year-old going on to finish second behind champion Luke Humphries.

For his exploits at the Alexandra Palace alone, Littler pocketed £200,000, with the Runcorn-born starlet having added to that tally with several tournament wins since.

The most lavish being the cool £275,000 he took home for winning this year’s Premier League title, edging out familiar foe Humphries in a dominant final at the O2 Arena.

But as the 2024 darts season prepares to enter its final furlong, Littler has been warned not to let the financial benefits of being a sporting megastar ruin his potential legacy.

Speaking on his new podcast 'The Barry Hearn Show', the PDC chief said: "He has the potential to be one of the greats of all time. That is the sacrifice he has to make. Does money spoil him along the way?

“No one really knows the answer, will he be or won’t he be? It will largely depend on him and how he copes with his new world. I think he will surprise a lot of people with his maturity as he already has. The way he handles himself. He’s excellent."

He continued: "Let’s hope he keeps like that. We are being entertained by greatness. There are a dozen or so players that have the potential from 12 years up…

“We need to be able to tell a story, set the scene. We need to involve everybody, get people talking. Luke Littler did that. By the way, he’s still got a long way to go.

"I think he’s a sensible boy, I think he knows that. He’s pacing himself and he’s going to get beat as well, he’s not going to suddenly blow everybody away.”

Littler’s next major chance for success in his stunning debut campaign will come in Leicester next week at the World Darts Grand Prix.

Having already pocketed around £360,000 this year, and with another £120,000 on offer to the winner, there are suggestions that Littler could achieve millionaire status shortly after his 18th birthday.

Following the Grand Prix, there is the Players Championship Finals for Littler to look ahead to, before a return to the Alexandra Palace for the big one at the end of the year.