Former electrician Cross won the world title in his first full season in 2018, Adrian Lewis and Michael van Gerwen achieved back-to-back wins in their 20s, and 16-time champion Phil “The Power” Taylor is widely regarded as the greatest of all time.
Littler is currently fourth in the world rankings, although this is based on a two-year Order of Merit.
There have been suggestions that the focus on the teenager means world number one, 29-year-old Humphries, has been deprived of the coverage he deserves, but no darts player has made as much of an impression at such a young age as Littler.
“Luke Humphries is another fantastic player who will play for years to come. Sport is a very brutal world. It’s about winning and getting high. There will be jealousy all around,” Hearn said.
“Luke Littler is the next Tiger Wood of darts so you better get used to it and the only way to compete is to get fitter.”
World No. 38 Martin Lukeman was very impressed as he described the battle from the top of Littler after being crushed 16-3 in the Grand Slam final, with the teenager winning 15 games in a row.
“I can’t compete with that, it was like God. He was relentless, he’s so good it’s ridiculous,” he said.
Lukeman still sees the benefits he brings and adds: “What he has done for the sport is brilliant. If it weren’t for him, our wages would not have increased. There are more sponsors, more money comes in, everything is good. “
Hearn believes players even younger than Littler could compete in the future.
“A few months ago I watched a 10-year-old who averaged 104.89 and went 4-3, finishing with 136. They feel the money, the fame and the hard work that went into it,” he said.
How much better Littler can achieve is anyone’s guess, although Plummer believes he wants to scale new heights.
“He never asks, ‘How good was I?’ But I think he wants to break records and break Phil Taylor’s 16 world titles and 16 world matchplay titles,” he said. “He’s young enough to do it.”
