For Luke Littler London’s O two Arena has become a theatre of milestones.

At sixteen he fired a nine dart finish here in the two thousand twenty four Play Offs.

Twelve months on the teenage world champion heads back to the capital on May twenty nine not just as defending Premier League champion but as the youngest player ever to finish top of the league phase.

Five nightly victories including a record setting run of three in succession have propelled him to thirty five points a full nine clear of Luke Humphries.

The O two stage holds no fear for the Warrington prodigy.

He averaged one hundred and seven in his semi final in this venue last year then came from four two down to stun Michael van Gerwen in the title decider.

Pundits point to a maturing all round game.

His first nine events of the campaign delivered two televised nine darters and a tournament leading one hundred and two point six average on the treble twenties. More telling is the improved doubling record seventy one percent under last dart pressure up from sixty four percent a season ago.

Littler opens the London showpiece against the fourth placed qualifier, currently Van Gerwen, and victory would guarantee him at least two hundred thousand pounds even before a ball is thrown in the final.

A potential rematch with Humphries looms on the other side of the bracket, and the world number one admits he “owes Luke one” after losing the World Championship final in January.

Tickets for the Play Offs sold out within seventeen minutes, with promoter Matchroom confirming a new secondary market record of three hundred pounds average resale price.

That demand underlines the Littler effect. If he glitters under the famous roof once again darts may have to redraw its record books before the teenager is even old enough for a legal drink.