Video of teenage sensation Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler throwing darts in nappies goes viral – with Ally Pally’s boy wonder showing all of his natural talent at just 18-months-old

Hidden among the millions of YouTube uploads from 2009 is a particularly grainy video from Luke Littler. Still in diapers, a toddler can be seen throwing magnetic darts at a board taped to the wall in his living room as Snap's I've Got The Power plays in the background.

While Susan Boyle's Britain's Got Talent audition that year was on its way to being viewed 260 million times, this clip titled 'Phil Taylor' had barely broken 1,000 views when Mail Sport discovered its existence on Christmas Day.

Looking at Littler, who started throwing darts at 18 months but is now 16 years old, does little to dispel Wayne Mardle's claim that the English teenager who will feature in the third round of the World Darts Championship tomorrow night 'naturally talented'.

Even then there were signs of a technique to the throw, where a flick of the wrist made the twenties flow as surely as the cans of Tango he drank to celebrate his victories at Alexandra Palace. At one point, little Littler attempts a no-look throw and misses the board completely. Then a female voice, presumably his mother, Lisa, tells him to “calm down.”

Yet Littler has shown no signs of calming down as 'The Nuke' prepares to take on Matt Campbell at Ally Pally. He is already guaranteed £25,000, although bookmakers have slashed their odds of him taking home the ultimate prize of £500,000, as fairytale as that would be.

Littler, 16, has taken the PDC World Championship by storm, reaching the third round

All of Littler's natural talent is on display despite him still being in diapers and being barely a year old

Some were offended by Mardle's suggestion that Littler is the 'most gifted player I have ever seen'. Yet the Sky Sports commentator did not mean that disparagingly. “His throw is natural and not contrived or robotic,” Mardle said by way of clarification. “Of course he's had a lot of practice, they all have.”

There's nothing wrong with a 'natural' look alongside your talent. Usain Bolt made it look natural when he grinned slyly during a 100-meter sprint in Rio 2016. Michael Jordan made his jumps look natural. Pele and Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi made their magic look natural. That's what the greats do.

Littler obviously has a long way to go before he can be considered a big, but there's a natural feel to the way he throws. No shocks. No hesitation. He sees what he needs, goes for glory and has done enough at Ally Pally to earn comparisons to Taylor, the title of that 2009 video.

Four years before Littler was born, David Moyes, then Everton manager, said of Wayne Rooney: 'Everything he has now is completely natural… the next two or three years will be vital.'

The same goes for Littler. When he was two years old, the darts were magnetic. At the age of three he achieved the right peaks.

Now sixteen, he introduces himself to the world stage, the boy who takes on the men of Ally Pally. Whatever happens tonight, it feels like this is the start of something special if Littler can stay true to his trajectory.

Littler has been praised for his natural talent and looks set for a bright career in the game