Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler says he will keep waking up at midday and rely on a diet of omelettes and pizza ahead of his history-making World Darts Championship final.
The 16-year-old, the youngest-ever player to reach the decider of the premier darts tournament, is already guaranteed £200,000 after a thumping victory over 2018 champion Rob Cross in the semi-final on Tuesday – but he now has his sights on the £500,000 winner’s jackpot.
Throughout his stunning run to the final, Littler has prepared for each round in unconventional ways, with his love for kebabs and ham and cheese omelettes a mainstay of his routine.
Coming up against world number one Luke Humphries on Wednesday at Alexandra Palace, Littler says he won’t be changing his approach.
“I’ll keep doing what I have been doing,” he said. “I don’t wake up until 12, in the morning go for my ham and cheese omelette, come here and have my pizza, and then go on the practice board.
“It is what I have been doing every day – if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”
Littler – who said he “only wanted to win one match” – has already shown he is the real deal, but he produced his biggest statement yet as he downed eighth seed Cross 6-2 in stunning fashion.
Averaging 106.05 in a nerveless performance, he bombarded the treble-20 for 16 180s.
“I haven’t got the words. It’s crazy,” he said. “I have just settled on that stage. It has not even sunk in yet. I have surprised myself.
“I have just got to stay focused and be Luke Littler. I have got to be mature and be myself.”
Who stands in his way?
Before he can think about lifting The Sid Waddell Trophy, he has to overcome the best player on the planet in Humphries.
Humphries delivered one of the best ever performances at the tournament as he whitewashed Michael van Gerwen’s conqueror Scott Williams 6-0.
But even he believes he will have to produce the game of his life on Wednesday night.
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“The way he’s played, I’ve seen it many times,” Humphries said of Littler. “When you come up on this stage it can be a lot tougher but he’s just proved he’s got a lot of bottle.
“Nothing is going to faze him. If he plays like he did tonight, tomorrow is not going to faze him at all, so I will probably have to play the game of my life.”
He added he will “probably have to play like that again” to stand a chance of beating Littler.
“I know what’s in front of me and what the task is,” he said.
“I’ve got to play at my best tomorrow but I’m hoping I make him play his best as well and we give the fans hopefully one of the best World finals we have ever seen.”
