Luke Littler reveals a shocking RETIREMENT plan just a month after turning pro

LUKE LITTLER has revealed his shock retirement plans – less than three months after bursting onto the scene.

He became a national phenomenon with his fairytale run at the PDC Darts World Championship in December.

That ended on January 3 when Luke Humphries, 28, beat the then 16-year-old 7-4 at Ally Pally to be crowned world champion.

The star, dubbed ‘Luke the Nuke’, collected £200,000 despite losing it before winning the Bahrain Masters and pocketing a further £20,000 for beating Michael van Gerwen in the final.

Littler then returned to his hometown of Warrington for a subdued celebration of his 17th birthday and then defeated Humphries in the semi-finals of the Dutch Masters, but suffered defeat to MVG in the final.

He only turned professional last month and capped off a whirlwind few weeks with a first call-up and then a bow for the Premier League.

So far he has won £252,000 in prize money in 2024 and has also entered into a lucrative partnership with fashion retailer boohooMAN.

And just this week, Littler signed the “biggest deal in darts” after entering into a multi-year partnership with loyal sponsors Target Darts.

However, it doesn’t seem like he plans to continue playing as long as some of his idols.

During an interview with The timeswas advised that his last appearance at the World Championships would be in 2065 if he continued until he was the same age as Phil Taylor.

That led to Littler replying: “I have been playing in the juniors for a long time, with the old British Darts Federation.

“Maybe I’ll do it another ten or fifteen years and retire when I’ve had enough.”

That means he could be done and dusted at age 27.

For now, though, he was thrilled after closing the deal with Target Darts.

It is believed to be a multi-million pound deal and that figure is based on potential earnings and bonuses over the next five to ten years, as well as a percentage of product and equipment sales to Arrows fans.

Littler said: “It is a very special moment to sign a long-term agreement with Target Darts.

“They have supported me through the Elite1 program since I was 12 and I look forward to continuing this great relationship in the future.

“The support and attention to detail that Target provides has helped immensely in the development of my game.

“The last few months have been a whirlwind, but one of the nicest things is hearing how many new people are taking up darts.

“I really hope these products will help inspire the next generation of players.”