Luke Littler thrashes Michael van Gerwen to become youngest winner of World Darts Championship
Updated 03/01/2025 at 23:20 GMT
Luke Littler became the youngest winner of the PDC World Darts Championship ever with a sensational 7-3 victory over a defiant Michael van Gerwen at Alexandra Palace. The Nuke revealed that he watched back his defeat in last year's final against Luke Humphries ahead of the career-defining clash with the three-time champion. Littler went 4-0 up before holding off a late Van Gerwen comeback.
Luke Littler of England lifts the trophy as he celebrates winning the Final against Michael van Gerwen of The Netherlands during day sixteen of the 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace on January 03, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images)
Image credit: Getty Images
Luke Littler insists he learnt a lot from last year's loss against Luke Humphries after defeating Michael van Gerwen 7-3 to become the youngest winner of the PDC World Darts Championship.
'The Nuke' fell at the final hurdle in the 2024 edition of the tournament, relinquishing a 4-2 lead before going on to lose 7-4 against Humphries.
However, the 17-year-old sensation bounced back at the first time of asking, defeating the three-time winner to take his record as the youngest winner of the tournament.
Littler watched the defeat against Humphries back in an attempt to learn from the mistakes of his past, and it paid off.
"I learnt a lot," he told Sky Sports. "Last year in the semis against Rob Cross, that was the first time I was 1-0 down and then obviously against Luke [Humphries].
"Tonight and throughout the tournament, I just needed to get off to a quick start.
"No one will know this but earlier today I watched all of the game back [last year's final] and I just had the visions.
"I could end 2025 winning absolutely nothing, but I won one of the best.
"Obviously I want to get more than 10 titles this year, but as I said, if I end 2025 with nothing, I've picked the big one up."
Littler stormed into a 4-0 lead over the Dutchman during a blistering start to the contest, with Van Gerwen taking an age to recover from busting his score when primed to take the opening leg of the match.
Van Gerwen showed immense heart to close the gap to 6-3, but Littler - who came close to closing out the match with a sensational bull, bull, double 16 checkout - held his nerve to get over the line.
Littler said he was feeling the pressure despite recording a comfortable victory.
"We both played so well, I was saying in interviews that I needed to get off to a quick start tonight, and that is what I did," Littler said. "I knew Michael was right behind me the whole game.
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"He was right behind me the whole way through.
"Everyone dreams of lifting this trophy, but you have got to get through a tough field, even before qualifying.
"I can't believe it.
"At 2-0 up [in the final set] I started getting nervous.
"But I just said to myself, 'just relax'.
"When I was throwing for the match, getting over and done with it was special."
There were messages of congratulations from a legend of the sport in Phil Taylor, who has 15 more world titles to his name than Littler, and the Prime Minister.
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