Eddie Hearn believes Luke Littler is “up there” with the major sports stars in the UK.
Littler created a wave of interest at the start of the year when, as a 16 year old, he stormed to the World Darts Championship final only to lose to Luke Humphries.
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Promotion to the Premier League swiftly followed and his impressive form continued this week when he hit a brilliant nine-darter en route to winning his first Players Championship event in Wigan.
Runcorn-born Littler, now 17, has already started to attract interest from sponsors and Hearn believes the financial rewards will soon match someone of his status.
PDC chairman Hearn told the Love the Darts podcast: “What Luke has done, it’s been incredible.
“He is at the opening of an envelope. You know, he’s at Misfits boxing, he’s at Manchester United but he is just embracing it and that part of the battle, to make sure that you can deal with the change that’s come into your life, not just financially, but the pressure of being a celeb.
“When you look at the positioning of major stars in UK sport right now, he is right up there.”
Hearn does admit to being concerned that it may be too much for the teenager to handle, adding: “He’s a special player.
“[But there have been] players in the past. I remember years ago to Kirk Shepherd. He raced onto the scene in the worlds and you think: ‘Wow he’s this young kid and a massive new addition to the PDC’.
“And he went on from there but never to the heights that Littler did. There is that worry that it’s just too much too soon.
“I know it’s a completely different sport, but you look at the likes of Emma Raducanu you know. Same kind of age. Go out and win the US Open. Are you ready for that? Was it a one-off? Was it a good draw? You know, how are you going to respond to that?”
