The two teenage darts superstars ready to challenge Littler

Two-time World Darts Champion Luke Littler is only 19 - but there are already two other teenage superstars hot on his heels and relishing a chance to beat him.

Two-time World Youth Championship winner Mitchell Lawrie, 15, and Jayden Walker, 14, will both compete against the World No 1 in Netflix's Beat Luke Littler event on Friday, where the winner will take home an eye-watering bounty of £501,000.

The youngsters are just two of 24 finalists who could face the reigning world champion: if one of the contestants beat Littler, the event will end and they will take home the prize, with Littler having to win 24 legs in a row to deny his opponents.

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Both Lawrie and Walker have faced Littler before and are laser-focused on the task at hand, but there is little doubt that there will be plenty more to come from the pair.

"It's life-changing money so I'm looking forward to it," Lawrie told Sky Sports.

"I just obviously hope I get to get the chance to play because I know there are also 24 other good players that have been picked. I'm just hoping to get a chance to play Luke."

Lawrie, a Target Darts ambassador, is the more experienced of the two teenagers, having already surpassed Littler's record to become the youngest player to win a match at the World Darts Federation World Championship, and has even come close to tasting victory against Littler before.

"It was three or four years ago [that I played Luke Littler]. And he beat me 3-2 - I missed a few match darts!

"But that was before he went on to be what he is. And before I went on to be what I was as well."

'I'm 100 per cent expecting to beat Littler'

Lawrie's lofty ambitions do not stop at beating Littler.

The Scot - who turns 16 next week - confirmed to Sky Sports he will be participating in the PDC's Qualifying School in 2027, giving him an opportunity to earn a two-year Tour card and become a regular on the professional circuit.

"No, I'm not thinking about it; I'm definitely doing [the Q-school] - that's what I want to do," he added.

"I've wanted to be a professional darts player since I started. And that's what we're going to try to do in January.

"Hopefully, I'll get my tour card there and then go on to bigger and better things.

"As I've said, I've loved the WDF system and stuff. They've been great with me and I've enjoyed that a lot. But the money's right in the PDC.

"That's where you can make a living out of darts. So, that's where you need to go."

Contestants had to complete 501 in 24 darts or fewer to progress through the first stage of Netflix's auditions, powered by Target OMNI and DartCounter.

Should the Scot get the chance to face Littler once more, he will only have to win one leg, rather than the three he needed last time out - and this time, he has a clear plan of action.

He said: "100 per cent [I'm expecting to beat him].

"It's one leg. He'll be up there throwing. I don't imagine I'll be on close to the start.

"Hopefully I'll win the bull-up and then hit two trebles to start -and then we'll see where the leg takes us. But that's the plan. Win the bull-up, hit two trebles, and then we'll see where it goes from there."

Walker: I've only hit three nine-darters!

While Lawrie is vocally confident in his chances of beating Littler and his prospects as a professional, Walker - a year his junior - is more understated about his astonishing list of teenage darting achievements.

"I've hit quite a few 170s, but I've only hit three nine-darters," Walker told Sky Sports. "The last nine-darter was in February last year.

"I've been so close to hitting double 12 a few times, but hopefully it'll come. You see the professionals on the TV, they probably hit about three or four a week - compared to them, it's not much at all.

"But hopefully, as I develop my game more, I can hopefully hit more and maybe I can get one competitively in a game."

Walker beat world No 2 Luke Humphries when he was only 12 years old, averaging 102 - prompting Humphries to call him "the best 12-year-old [player] I've ever seen in my life" - but is yet to convince his parents that his aspirations of becoming a professional darts player should be his top priority.

"My mum always tells me I have to finish my homework before I can go out to a night of darts. Because I love darts so much, I sort of make myself do the homework.

"[One of my favourite subjects is] maths - it helped me in darts, because during lockdown when I first started playing, I started focusing on it.

"The only schoolwork they set us was maths. I just did maths and all those mental arithmetics helped me with my game, with all the shots out."

Like Lawrie, Walker has faced Littler before - but the Dorset native knows he stands to gain from the profile of the event even if he doesn't get the chance to face the world No 1 for the prize.

"I'm excited for Friday. Obviously, I've been putting in a few hours this morning and I'll probably be putting in a few after this interview and for the rest of the week really, so I know I've got to practise and dedicate myself to beating him.

"I've met Luke before. I've played him twice as well, actually.

"He beat me easily the first time, but then the second time it was quite a competitive game. If I do end up playing him on Friday, hopefully it'll be competitive.

"Even if I don't get to play Luke on the night, it'll be good publicity for being on Netflix. Hopefully I can get a few sponsors that can help me travel on the back of that. And a few followers, that'd be quite nice."

Both Walker and Lawrie will aim to take centre stage and beat Littler to the £501,000 on Friday - and it looks set to be the first of many times darts fans will see the teenage sensations on their screens for years to come.

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