TEEN superstar Luke Littler has revealed that David Beckham is the latest hero to slide into his social media messages.
The 16-year-old Warrington wonderkid plays his first competitive match since reaching the World Championship final at the Bahrain Masters today.
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The Manchester United fan will play Man Lok Leung just over a fortnight after losing 7-4 to Luke Humphries at the Ally Pally and picking up £200,000.
But just days after being a special guest at Old Trafford and meeting Sir Alex Ferguson and Bruno Fernandes, Littler also admitted he’s been in contact with another United legend.
On his Instagram boom, he told the BBC One Show: “I went from 4,000 to a million. The big one is David Beckham. He said like something ‘well done, once a red, always a red’.”
Becks’ son Romeo was in the VIP section at the Ally Pally, along with James Maddison, when Littler lost the final to Humphries.
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Littler went back to his roots at the St Helens Dart Shop where he was discovered by his first mentor Karl Holden.
On Holden, Littler said: “It’s all come from this man, started off from the beginning. This is where I am now. So hopefully when I do win the Worlds I’ll pay my bit.
“It’s been crazy for myself and good for Karl.”
Littler also spoke about how it all started when he was in nappies, adding: “I just looked up to my dad. He played in the house, not in the pub.
“We were then in a pound shop or whatever it’s called and I picked the toy and it was a magnetic dartboard. What would have happened if I hadn’t picked up that magnetic dartboard?”
Holden was brimming with pride as he watched Littler go all the way to the World final at the Ally Pally.
Holden said: “We’ve always given the lad good advice. To get to the final and watch him was pretty special for everybody.
“He was 10 and we had to shove him in the under-21s because his ability was just too good for everybody else.”
One Show presenter Jermaine Jenas said: “What a talent. He was so close to winning it.”
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