Luke Littler is set to keep his 18th birthday celebrations low-key after being issued a lofty challenge by .

The darts wonderkid was one of the breakout stars of the 2024 championship at the Alexandra Palace. before finally getting over the line this year with a

was not able to toast his success, having not yet reached the UK drinking age. But that is all set to change on Tuesday with the Warrington-born star finally due to celebrate his birthday.

And despite finally coming-of-age, Littler is not set to go wild with the brutal schedule causing havoc to his calender. Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: “I haven’t got anything planned really because there is a lot of darts around this time.

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“I will probably just do something at home before the crazy schedule starts. But I gave myself the best early birthday present by winning the Worlds.

“My first year has been difficult, at the start of the year with the and travelling to the European Tours, I have been travelling up and down the country. It’s at the start of the year when the crazy schedule is.”

After Littler lifted his debut world title, all attention turned to whether he could potentially match - or even beat - Taylor's all-time record of 16. And while the darts icon has kept quiet on a potential prediction, he has told Littler to block out all of the noise and just focus on his darts.

“Can he get better? I don’t know,” Taylor told PA. “I don’t know him that well, he is a lovely lad, a normal 17-year-old, likes his phone, he’s very quiet and humble. He’s not money-oriented, he is family-orientated, he loves his mum and dad.

Could Luke Littler beat Phil Taylor's world championship record?

“It’s up to him now, once you have got that name you are a target so you’ve got to really buckle down now and practice hard because everybody is after you now.”

While it remains to be seen whether Littler can beat Taylor's record or not, his impact on world darts cannot be understated. Matchroom president Barry Hearn has been left astounded by how many eyes he has drawn to the sport, having compared the youngster to one of golf's best ever.

“I call it now the Luke Littler effect, the gift that keeps on giving,” Hearn told PA in 2024. "I would compare him to the British version of .

"He has his feet on the ground and doesn’t seem to get phased, for a 17-year-old that is just amazing. I just think that darts hasn’t even started in where it is going to go globally. I have been in this business for 50 years and I have never seen anything like this in any sport, it’s as simple as that.”

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