Darts sensation Luke Littler could amass a staggering amount of career earnings if he stays on his current trajectory of success, industry experts have predicted. The 17-year-old was crowned World Darts Champion on Friday night after defeating Dutch ace Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 in the final.

It saw him rewarded with £500,000 in winnings, of which he will pocket around half after £230,000 tax regulation deductions. But marketing expert Nigel Currie said he felt this was just the beginning for the wonderkid from Runcorn.

Mr Currie explained how a combination of winnings, sponsorships, and endorsements could see his bank balance end up very healthy over the course of his career, with an estimated £50 million in earnings projected. Get the latest news from our national teams by signing up to the Don't Take Me Home newsletter here.

"It's just perfect timing for Luke. Darts continues to grow and it's ­lucrative for all players, especially top ones," Mr Currie told The Mirror. "The TV viewing figures are incredible and the money is pouring into the sport like never before. It's an unbelievable story to have such a young player at the top. He earned over £1 million in prize money last year, and I suspect at least the same in ­sponsorship money, if not more. That is only going to get bigger and will make him a very rich young man indeed. The sky is the limit.

"A lot of potential sponsors will have been holding back last year, waiting to see if it was a fluke tournament. But he has proven he is here to stay. He will be the pin-up boy of the sport for many years. The sponsors will be queuing up." Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news. You will receive updates from us daily.