Luke Littler has been filmed sending a touching message to his father, Anthony, in a new Sky documentary ahead of the World Darts Championship.
The 17-year-old will be eager to secure glory at Alexandra Palace, having burst onto the scene at the same tournament 12 months ago.
Littler has enjoyed more success in the time since, with the Briton winning the Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts among other competitions.
In a new documentary from Sky, as revealed by The Sun, the darts prodigy thanks his father for everything he’s done for him.
Luke Littler has thanked his dad for all his support in a new documentary ahead of the World Darts Championship
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“My dad’s done so much for me, funding me with petrol, hotels, paying my entry fees whatever I’m playing in and taking time off to come with me,” he says.
Anthony then replies: “That’s just the junior tournaments.”
Littler is also filmed preparing for the first round, with the teenager expressing his confidence.
“I just let my darts go, and I just enjoy it, because I know my opponent is nowhere near me,” he adds.
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“I don’t really feel pressure, though I obviously get nervous because it is a big occasion, it’s the biggest tournament of the year.
“I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m just playing my darts and I want to win another game.
“You’ve just got to put the hard work in to get to where you want to be.”
Darts is a sport growing in popularity each and every year.
That’s not always been the case, with the profession previously looked down on by many figures within the sporting world.
Gone are the days of the booze culture, with Jocky Wilson once falling off a stage during a tournament after having one drink too many.
And Barry Hearn, speaking on the doc, has admitted he’s proud at how much darts has evolved over the years.
“This is a major industry now, but we have had to put up with people looking down their noses at us,” he says.
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“Over the centuries we have had, in Britain, a class structure, which means that we ‘know our place’ and I never bought into that.
“We have transformed that now. Members of the Royal Family sit down to watch the darts.
“We have MPs and footballers begging us for tickets to sit down next to a docker or a newsagent or a dustman.
“It’s exactly the world that I wanted, but the leaders of the world are the players. Without the players we don’t have anything. And they’ve not let us down.
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Luke Littler lost to Luke Humphries in the final of the World Darts Championship at the start of the year
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“I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved. We create heroes and players that come from the same working-class areas that I came from.
“They can achieve their dreams and change their lives, which is the essence of what sport is about.”
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