IF you didn't know already, Luke 'The Nuke' Littler is the real deal.

The Warrington 16-year-old defeated the mighty Michael van Gerwen 8-5 in tonight's Bahrain Darts Masters Final on his debut in a World Series of Darts event.

'The Nuke' exploded into the night's action, sending Bahrain bananas with a perfect nine-dart finish in the opening leg of his quarter-final success against Nathan Aspinall.

He landed the big-fish 170 finish in the crucial leg of his semi-final success against Gerwyn Price.

>READ: What's being said about Littler as he reigns in Bahrain

Littler had given enough notice it was going to be his night and he did not disappoint in the final showdown with the most successful World Series of Darts player and three-times World Champion van Gerwen.

 

It was nip and tuck with with each player holding their throw until 4-3.

After the break, Littler took a two-leg lead but van Gerwen responded like a true champion and levelled the match again at 5-5.

> WATCH: Luke Littler's mindblowing nine-darter in Bahrain Darts Masters

But the former Padgate Academy student took the final three legs to win his first senior PDC event in his second successive final to complete a sensational night and claim the £20,000 first prize.

Asked afterwards what he had just achieved, the teenager told ITV4: “You tell me. I don’t know. I’m happy to win.”

“Earlier on the quarters, obviously I hit the nine against Nathan, but I played well yesterday and I’ve played well again tonight.

“No one probably believes it, but I’ve not thrown a dart since the world final. Yesterday, that was the first proper practice I’ve put in, but it’s all paid off.

“I’m just happy to win, obviously, against Michael. He’s still one of the best, he’s the very best and I’m just happy to win on my debut.”

Van Gerwen was magnanimous in defeat, but urged people not to put pressure on the game’s new superstar.

He said: “Everyone says he’s the new kid, but everyone knows what he is capable of. The crowd, the television, everyone wants to make him bigger, but he’s already a good player.

“I know we all want to push him, but let him grow, let him do other things. You have to learn, the crowd has to learn and everyone who is involved in television has to learn. Don’t push him too much.

“Of course we know he’s a good player, but give him his time and after, he will come, no problems.”