Manchester United honour world champion Luke Littler at Old Trafford

Luke Littler’s rapid rise in darts is already well documented, but this weekend offered another reminder of just how quickly he has crossed into mainstream sporting stardom.

The 19-year-old world champion was presented at Old Trafford ahead of Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, walking out in front of a packed stadium with his Sid Waddell Trophy in hand. For a lifelong United fan who regularly attends home matches, it was a moment that underlined how far Littler’s profile has grown beyond the oche.

Littler made history in early January by successfully defending his PDC World Darts Championship crown, sweeping aside Gian van Veen 7-1 in the final. The victory placed him in rare company as only the fourth player to retain the title and reinforced his position as the youngest world champion the sport has ever seen.

His momentum did not stop there. Earlier this month, Littler added the Winmau World Masters to his collection, one of the few major honours missing from his CV. He edged past Luke Humphries 6-5 in a final in Milton Keynes, widely regarded as one of the highest quality matches of the season so far.

With no ranking events scheduled this weekend, the timing aligned perfectly for Littler to return to Old Trafford. The lap of honour, greeted by a warm reception from the home crowd, capped a weekend that blended football fandom with elite sporting recognition. United’s victory later lifted the club into fourth place in the Premier League standings.

Attention now quickly returns to darts. Littler will skip the first two Players Championship events of the year and instead focus fully on Thursday’s second night of the Premier League Darts in Antwerp.

The opening night did not go to plan, with Littler exiting at the quarter-final stage after a 6-4 defeat to van Veen. Antwerp presents an immediate opportunity for a response, but the challenge is a familiar one.

Littler will face Humphries in the quarter-finals, renewing a rivalry that has already defined several major moments over the past year. Their most recent Premier League meeting came in last season’s play-offs final, where Humphries prevailed 11-8.

For Littler, the task is clear. After a weekend in the spotlight far from the darts stage, the focus now returns to backing up world champion status on one of the sport’s most visible platforms.