Inside Luke Littler's visit to Carrington
Darts wonderkid Luke Littler met the Manchester United squad and manager Erik ten Hag during a visit to our Carrington training ground earlier this week.
The teenager, fresh from winning his first senior title at the Bahrain Masters, watched the session out in the wet and windy weather and was given a signed shirt by his favourite player, Alejandro Garnacho.
He then challenged Christian Eriksen and Harry Maguire to throw a few arrows later in the day, in the warmth of the Jimmy Murphy Training Centre, with friends, family and other Reds watching on.
Unsurprisingly, Eriksen and Maguire were no match for the PDC World Championship runner-up, who was on the mark as he hit 180 during his turn at the oche.
Luke Littler: My Carrington Tour
🎯 My Carrington Tour | Darts wonderkid Luke Littler watches training and speaks to manager Erik ten Hag...
Ten Hag and his side congratulated Littler on his recent achievements: earlier this month, aged 16, he became the youngest player to reach the final of the sport’s most prestigious competition.
While ‘the Nuke’ unfortunately fell to Luke Humphries – a diehard Leeds United fan – in the final, Erik had some words of encouragement for the arrows prodigy.
“Congrats with your performance, it was great," the boss said. “Keep going and I’m sure, next time, you will win.
“It’s about character always, so keep going!”
Littler was also present in the directors’ box during the recent 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
It was a day he clearly cherished as he was able to watch his beloved team from a superior vantage point and rub shoulders with some famous faces.
“Unbelievable, I met Sir Alex Ferguson and got him to sign my top for me,” he told MUTV’s Ben Ibson. “I had a chat with him and I was with [boxer] Tommy Fury as well.
Stepping up to the oche
GalleryLuke Littler played darts against Christian Eriksen and Harry Maguire during his Carrington visit with Sky Sports.
“It was good to get me in a quite good seat and I actually wore some decent clothes for once, instead of just trackies!”
Humphries paraded his world title around Elland Road recently and Littler is hoping to be able to follow suit at the Theatre of Dreams in the near future.
“Hopefully, I can win the world championship or even a major trophy this year – one of the five or six majors that are on offer – and take it to Old Trafford.”