Luke Littler, 17, becomes youngest world darts champion after beating Michael van Gerwen

Teenage sensation Luke Littler has won the World Darts Championship after beating Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in the final at Alexandra Palace.

The 17-year-old surged to a 4-0 lead and never looked in danger despite his Dutch rival staging a mini revival.

He was assured all night, repeatedly knocking in double 10 and double-top to heap pressure on the three-time champion.

Littler, who lost in the final last year, was the pre-tournament favourite after winning 10 trophies this season.

“I can’t believe it! Honestly, I can’t believe it,” Littler said.

“Everyone dreams of lifting this trophy but you have to get through a tough field,” Littler added.

The match appeared too close to call beforehand, with both players thrashing their semi-final opponents 6-1.

But Littler became the youngest-ever world darts champion – winning a £500,000 prize – in front of a raucous London crowd.

“Every moment he got to hurt me, he did,” said van Gerwen.

“I sometimes say every 17 years a star gets born and he’s one of them.”

“At 2-0 up, I started getting nervous,” Littler admitted. “But I said to myself, ‘relax’. To get it over and done with is special.”

He averaged 102.73 against his opponent’s 100.69, hitting 56% of his doubles versus van Gerwen’s 37%.

There were 12 180s for the English player and 13 for the Dutchman.

The prime minister was among the first to send congratulations, calling it an “inspirational performance”.

“You should be really proud of what you’ve achieved tonight, not just for yourself but for the sport of darts as a whole,” he posted.

Littler – who’s from Warrington in Cheshire – shot to fame during last year’s championships when his run to the final captured the public imagination.

He first picked up a dart at 18 months old and is credited with supercharging the game’s popularity.

Luke Humphries, the 2024 winner and top of the PDC rankings, suffered a surprise defeat early in the tournament.