Luke Littler had spent 12 months defying gravity with an everyday nonchalance that was as unerring as his on-stage brilliance. And then, in front of 3,500 raucous fans, hundreds of clicking cameras and several million television viewers, the enormity of the most extraordinary year finally hit this most ordinary of teenagers.

Littler had just completed his first match of this year’s World Darts Championship, where he suffered an unexpected attack of nerves before clinching a 3-1 win with fewer darts than any set in the history of the event. It was a moment of genius, but it did not feel like that. “It’s the worst game I have played,” said Littler, who became suddenly tearful on stage before cutting short the interview.

What did he want at that precise moment? A big hug with his mum and, having gathered himself, he later agreed that the enormity of the past 12 months had hit home for the first time. “As soon as [referee] George Noble said ‘game on’, I couldn’t throw them – it has been a lot to deal with,” he said.

Once the dust had settled, the biggest surprise was that it had taken so long for any real public sense that he had been affected by all the attention and success.

Littler, though, would regroup over Christmas, returning with the outlook that propelled him to the final last year, before taking this final step to darts immortality. The youngest world champion in darts history but, as the record viewing figures for last year’s final proved, already a household name across the country in a way that few sportspeople – let alone darts players – ever achieve.

It is not widely known that Littler decamped to a still unknown corner of rural Wales in the immediate aftermath of losing last year’s final to Luke Humphries.

He reappeared two weeks later for the Bahrain Masters – which he won by beating Michael van Gerwen in the final – before then barely being off either a playing or celebrity stage.

David Beckham would slide into Littler’s DMs and, to his delight, is now among 1.5 million Instagram followers. Littler has been driven around Silverstone by Lando Norris, personally welcomed at the WWE headquarters in New York by the current champion Cody Rhodes, and met Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

Two of the most memorable non-tournament appearances, however, would still involve throwing darts. He was invited to the Manchester United training ground where, in front of the first-team squad, he casually hit a 180 on his first visit to the makeshift board. He then became the first darts player to appear on the cult TV show Bullseye for 18 years. And what did he do with his first visit to that board? A maximum 180 of course.

While Littler has understandably looked rarely comfortable in front of a camera outside of a darting context (he swiftly departed the BBC studios after finishing second in the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year vote last month), the cameos at United and on Bullseye underlined an unerring ability to produce under pressure with three darts in his hand.

“He loves engaging with the crowd,” says Emma Paton, the Sky Sports darts presenter. “He comes alive on stage. It does something to him – like Usain Bolt. He’s not just showboating; he can back it up. He’s so chilled.”

Littler’s Premier League appearance at Liverpool, shortly after Everton had won the Merseyside derby 2-0, was a particular highlight. Littler is a big fan of Manchester United and so was booed by the crowd, prompting him to cup his ears and remind them of the 2-0 defeat. “He loves interacting with fans and he loved that night,” said one of Littler’s friends. To their credit, the Liverpool fans took being on the receiving end in good spirit.

On the board, Littler has now risen to second in the world rankings after a relentless schedule that has seen travel as afar afield as Madison Square Garden and Australasia as well as all over Europe. Playing tournaments in Essex had previously felt like a significant detour. Littler’s rankings rise, though, still tells only part of the story. They are based on winnings over a two-year period, meaning he has had only half the opportunities of his opponents.

One of the more interesting subplots has been his interaction with the other players.

James Wade, one of the most successful players of the past 20 years, very visibly raised an eyebrow when Littler celebrated a “big fish” 170 finish against him by pretending that he was reeling in a giant catch.

There then seemed to be genuine offence taken by Ricardo Pietreczko, who angrily accused Littler of arrogance for taking a flamboyant route to certain checkouts en route to a 7-3 win. Littler seemed totally unfazed by the on-stage confrontation and promptly celebrated with even more gusto than usual.

‘We are all in his debt for what he has done in the game’

His friend, Nathan Aspinall, reckons that a lot of the other players are jealous. Phil “The Power” Taylor has told Littler to avoid becoming friends with his rivals. The vast majority of the top players, however, do genuinely seem to like Littler and appreciate that his fame is indirectly only helping their bank balances as well.

“He’s a nice kid – we are all in his debt for what he has done in the game,” says Aspinall, the world No 11. Humphries has even tried to take the lead in joint-interviews and believes that Littler, who is understandably shy, has been a credit to himself.

PDC chief executive Matt Porter says that Littler has been a dream to work with in promoting the sport. “It’s not unusual to have under-18s in our environment but it’s obviously unusual to have an under-18 right at the top,” he says. “We have robust child protection policies in place – Luke has got very good management, a very solid family unit. Everybody has worked collaboratively to make sure his welfare is always prioritised so that he can play darts.

“Luke loves darts. There’s no edge – he’s a nice lad who wants normal things. The increase in attention, the profile, people stopping him in the street, that could have fazed a 17-year-old, but he has been like a duck to water with it. That’s really impressive.”

Littler’s fame will, of course, now go to yet another stratosphere. The man himself, though, is adamant that nothing much will change. “I just absolutely enjoyed myself like I should be doing,” he says. “No one has really told me how to be me. I’ve just been myself – how I’ve been for the last 17 years – and that is how it will continue.”