Luke Humphries has shed light on the 'humble' four-word message shared by Luke Littler after the world number 1 sealed his first World Darts Championship trophy.
On the verge of making sporting history by becoming the youngest ever winner of the title, 16-year-old Littler – whose family shared heartwarming messages of support – fell just short thanks to a remarkable comeback from Humphries.
The 28-year-old from Newbury took control of the match after coming back from 4-2 down to extend his unbeaten streak to 20 wins in a row.
But the manner in which he won caps off what has been a remarkable journey for Humphries, who has spoken publicly about his struggles with anxiety and weight gain.
Speaking after the match, Humphries said: 'Luke has been an incredible talent, not just on the dartboard, he has been fantastic with all the media that has come about with him.
The moment Luke hugged at the end of their match to share some kind words
Darts star Luke Humphries has undergone a stunning body transformation in recent years
'He absorbed the defeat there so well. He said “go ahead, enjoy, celebrate”. You'll never see a down-to-earth 16 year old boy like him again.
'He's just something different and I really hope he plays in the Premier League because it would be nice to play with him next year. He's one of the best players in the world, there's no doubt about that.'
Early in his career, Humphries decided to take a break from darts due to mental health issues.
After defending champion Rob Cross made his way to the last eight of the 2019 World Championships, 'Cool Hand' Luke considered giving up the sport due to a panic and anxiety disorder that affects him both on and off the oche.
But he has since explained how he came to better control this, which was evident during his decisive set thrillers against Ricardo Pietreczko and Joe Cullen.
He also previously claimed that his recent success can be attributed to his incredible body transformation, which has seen him lose more than four stone since 2021.
Photos from Humphries' social media pages show off Humphries' impressive changes – with the darts star looking much slimmer in his recent photos.
Littler (left) met Humphries (right) in the Hayling Island quarter-final in November 2019
Speaking of Littler, Humphries said: 'You'll never see a level-headed 16-year-old boy like him again'
The victory caps a remarkable turnaround in life for Luke Humphries
According to The Daily Star, Humphries has lost four and a half stone since he started his physical journey.
Humphries told the outlet, “I did the stationary bike for about half an hour a day and then it was just clean and healthy eating while still exercising. I felt better in myself, but I didn't feel any different with my throwing.
'Many players have lost a lot of weight and that has a negative impact on their performance. Maybe that's from losing too much weight and not exercising through it.
“If you lose 4 pounds a week while exercising, your body won't really notice the changes.” If I had lost fourth place and not thrown a dart in that period, it would have been different.'
And recently speaking to Sky Sports, he confirmed that the weight loss has been a direct reason for his rise.
Humphries, 28, who has won 20 matches in a row, is pictured with his regular partner Kayley Jones
Humphries is not only a darts rival, but also supports United fan Littler's rival team Leeds United
'I think being fitter and healthier helps with longer days and it's no coincidence that I never used to get to those quarter-finals and semi-finals because I would run out of energy.
'The European Tour finals are the longest days you can imagine and I'm doing them at a gallop now and I could probably play three more matches after the final.
'So losing weight is an important part of where I am today because I don't think I would be where I am today as the unfit and unhealthy version of me. It's another piece of the puzzle that brings me to where I am today.'