SINCE his stunning World Darts Championship debut, Warrington’s Luke Littler has been the name on everybody’s lips.

Darts fans and pundits alike watched on with jaws on the floor as the 16-year-old blitzed Holland’s Christian Kist last night, looking right at home on the sport’s biggest stage in the process.

In becoming the youngest player to win a World Darts Championship match and with his average of 106 being the highest for a debutant in the competition’s history, it was a record-breaking outing from the former Padgate Academy pupil that got people talking.

He faces a significant step-up tonight as he faces 20th seed and reigning UK Open champion Andrew Gilding in the second round, with their match opening up the evening session at around 7pm.

His dazzling display has even prompted a flurry of bets on the teenager winning the entire tournament. Indeed, competition sponsors Paddy Power now have him as a 9-1 joint-fourth favourite to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy in the new year.

Can he win it? With his side of the draw having opened up following the early exits of seeded players Peter Wright and James Wade, Sky Sports pundit Mark Webster doesn’t see why not.

"I'm going to get carried away with it – I think he can win the whole thing,” he said.

"You play like that on your debut, there's no nerves. There's going to be a lot more coming at him, particularly in the next round – Andrew Gilding will make it difficult.

"Christian (Kist) played okay but he wasn't allowed to play and if he does that to Gilding, that'll send out another message.

“Then it's the possibility of Matt Campbell next – if you play like that, you can win the title."

Fellow pundit Wayne Mardle – a five-time World Championship semi-finalist – agreed and drew comparisons with multiple-time world champions Phil Taylor and Michael Van Gerwen.

"Why can't he win it? Why can't he win the world championship? Who has been better in their first game,” he said.

"He was pushed for a set and a bit there but he dismantled a very, very good player.

"I can't remember someone going up there with such a swagger and just banging in 180s and hitting 11 and 12-darters like they are going out of fashion.

"I'm a darts fan first and foremost, I was watching it and I had goosebumps watching him.

“I love people achieving and that was a boy achieving something on the world stage.

"We may never see the like again. We saw it with Phil Taylor and then we saw it with Michael van Gerwen.

“This may be the third coming of that. I don't know, but I'm a little bit carried away."