He is barely 16. But Luke Littler has risen to sudden stardom in Britain with an unlikely run that has him on the verge of a world title.

Littler has grow to be a sensation after making it into the World Darts Championship closing as an unseeded participant. Millions can be tuning in Wednesday to look at his bid to grow to be the youngest winner of the game’s most prestigious competitors. 

The teenager — who goes by “Luke TheNuke Littler” on Instagram, the place he has amassed a following of greater than 500,000 — has outclassed world champions on his technique to the ultimate, successful the hearts of raucous crowds at London’s Alexandra Palace and viewers throughout the nation over the vacation interval. 

“No words! Crazy to think I’m in a World Championship final in my debut,” Littler told NBC’s U.K. partner network Sky Sports after his semifinal win in opposition to 2018 champion Rob Cross on Tuesday. “I was happy winning one game but I could go all the way!”

Littler’s fairy-tale ascent from youth world champion to the cusp of the senior title has transcended the world of darts, successful him followers and superstar admirers throughout the U.Okay., with the British media dubbing him a “prodigy” on entrance pages.

English soccer stars have requested him to pose for photographs, and a British prostate cancer charity celebrated Littler for carrying its brand on his shirt all through the event and spreading consciousness. 

But attributable to his age, little is understood in regards to the teen, and he has admitted that media consideration could be very new to him. The Professional Darts Corporation, or PDC, lists Littler on its website as born in 2007 and from the city of Warrington, in northern England. 

Last week Littler, who was quantity 164 within the PDC rankings, shared a video of himself enjoying darts at 18-months outdated, whereas nonetheless carrying a diaper. 

“It’s completely unprecedented,” British darts commentator Rod Studd advised NBC News. “What normally happens in darts is people develop their skill, develop their ability to play on big stages in front of TV cameras and huge crowds, and it takes a lot of time.”

But Littler managed to take the most important stage in darts by storm. 

“People knew that Luke Littler was a promising talent and possibly a prodigiously promising talent,” Studd stated. “He won the World Youth Championship earlier this year. But that’s a big step from what’s happening in the world championship against seasoned professional players that have won big tournaments many, many times.”

Match after match, Littler has carried out at “stratospheric levels” often seen from established elite-level gamers, Studd stated, with supreme confidence the place “nothing appears to bother him” beneath strain. 

“It’s as if he is throwing darts in his own lounge room,” he stated. “This boy is making this look so effortlessly easy.”

Littler’s mixture of confidence, accuracy and magnificence has gained him a military of followers, Studd stated, who might not have even recognized him simply weeks in the past when the event kicked off. 

A former junior coach advised British public broadcaster the BBC on Wednesday that he acknowledged Littler’s expertise earlier than he was 11. “’I’d say he’s the Ronaldo of darts,” Karl Holden stated. “He is a freak of nature.”

If he wins Wednesday, Littler will grow to be the youngest world champion in PDC historical past, Studd stated, with Dutch participant Michael van Gerwen successful the title at age 24 in 2014. 

“Twenty-four was considered young, so 16 is just beyond belief,” he added. 

The teenager advised Sky Sports he’ll put together for the ultimate the way in which he does for any match, particularly by consuming a ham and cheese omelet within the morning, adopted by a pizza after which observe later within the day. He has additionally advised the BBC that he likes to have fun his wins with a superb kebab. 

He will face fellow English participant Luke Humphries in Wednesday’s closing, the place they may compete for a 500,000-pound ($631,000) prize. Littler has already assured himself a minimal of 200,000 kilos ($252,000) in prize cash, based on the PDC. 

Humphries stated forward of the match that he thought Littler was “scarily good” when he performed him when Littler was simply 12 years outdated. 

“He has shown that he is the real deal and regardless of what happens tomorrow, he has got a massive bright future,” Humphries stated Tuesday.