The teenager has been a revelation in the world of darts this year but is not one to splash the cash
Darts sensation Luke Littler has been pocketing prize money left, right and centre since his incredible emergence earlier this year, yet the young star isn’t one for lavish spending.
The 17-year old-made waves in the sports world by clinching second place at the PDC World Championship in January, proving that his success was no one-off. This week, he claimed his ninth title of the year at the Players Championship 20 event in Wigan, adding another £15k to his earnings.
He narrowly defeated Stephen Bunting with an 8-7 victory at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, marking his 12th consecutive match win. This triumph followed hot on the heels of his win at the World Series of Darts in Amsterdam the previous weekend, which lined his pockets with a further £80k.
These back-to-back victories have boosted the teenager’s bank balance by £95k. However, unlike some young sporting talents who might splash out on flashy cars or high-end fashion, Littler’s spending remains relatively conservative.
When quizzed about his most extravagant buy since hitting the big time, the teen simply laughed and said: “I bought myself a nice bag.”
Littler appears to be taking a prudent approach to his finances, which started with a hefty £200k from the World Championship. The PDC Order of Merit, based on prize money, currently places Littler 22nd with total winnings of £364,500.
The official figures don’t entirely reflect the earnings of young darting star Luke Littler, as his Premier League triumphs, which netted him £40k for nightly wins during the season and a hefty £275k after besting Luke Humphries in the May final, are not included in the PDC world rankings. Further bolstering his bank balance, the World Series of Darts victory tacked on an additional £80k to his tally, yet this too is excluded from the rankings.
Earlier in the year, the teenage phenomenon acknowledged splurging some of his prize funds on Ultimate Team, the compelling feature within the EA FC series, previously famed as FIFA. This mode lets gamers purchase player packs with real currency to build elite squads.
A fervent Manchester United fan, Littler invested heavily to construct his ideal team. Revealing his purchases to The Times, he said: “My ultimate team? That’s what I spend my money on. Petr Cech, he’s good,” before adding, “This’ll go down well, then: [Vincent] Kompany and [Virgil] van Dijk at the back.”
Not stopping there, he listed, “Trent [Alexander-Arnold] at right-back. [Gianfranco] Zola, Thierry Henry, [Harry] Kane, [Michael] Essien. You’ve got to spend money to get that team. That’s what I’ve always done. When I win money, I just treat myself, buy some packs, get some good players.”
