The many faces of 'The Nuke'! Luke Littler epitomized the sport's highs and lows during his debut at the World Darts Championship… and was all smiles even after losing his first final
- Darts talent Littler was defeated 7-4 by Luke Humphries on Wednesday evening
- The 16-year-old endeared himself to a large number of fans thanks to his charisma on stage
- REVEALED: Luke Littler's new world ranking after fairytale debut championship
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Despite missing out on a mythical World Darts Championship title, Luke Littler has etched his name in the history of the sport thanks to his miraculous run at Alexandra Palace.
The 16-year-old captured the hearts of admirers not just in the UK but around the world as he nervously dispatched opponents twice – or even three – his age to become the youngest-ever finalist.
While it was Luke Humphries who recorded a thrilling 7-4 victory on Wednesday night, Littler leaves his debut tournament with a brand new 31st place and an eye-watering £200,000 in prize money.
But in addition to his lost talent, Littler also stood out for his expressive emotions and charismatic performances when he entered the oche.
Here, Mail Sport presents the many faces of the budding superstar – from jubilation to desolation.
Littler was a real outsider at the start of the tournament, before surprisingly beating his first opponent Christian Kist
The teenager's confidence and stage presence immediately belied his age and darts status
The Runcorn resident's face conveyed his delight at beating Matt Campbell in the second round
Littler took on his 'idol' Raymond van Barneveld with confidence and defeated the 56-year-old 4-1
But despite his smooth progress, Littler had overreactions to his rare missed throws
Littler looked shocked as he watched opponent Brendan Dolan's progress in the quarter-final
After winning against Rob Cross in the semi-final, Littler enjoyed the applause of the crowd
But the prodigy looked more thoughtful during his final against number 1-in-waiting Luke Humphries
Littler urged supporters to remain calm after a shaky moment at the start of the tense final
But he gritted his teeth with regret as he lost an early lead at the start
The player put his head in his hands and looked completely emotionally transparent on stage
Under the supervision of the legendary trophy, Littler was powerless as the match passed
After the draw, Littler seemed touched as new world champion Humphries shared a few personal words with him
After winning the runners-up trophy and a huge payday, Littler said he was 'delighted' with his debut performance