Man United fan Luke Littler shares Sir Alex Ferguson's advice after World Championship heartache

Luke Littler has revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson told him to "believe in himself" after being given the opportunity to meet the Manchester United all-time great at Old Trafford.

Teenage darts sensation Littler became the subject of national news at the start of the month after reaching the World Darts Championship on his debut appearance despite only being 16 years old. The Warrington youngster defeated former world champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross on a stunning journey to the final where he was eventually beaten by new world No. 1 Luke Humphries at the Alexandra Palace.

But having stunned darts fans at the Ally Pally with his performances, as well as millions more watching on TV, it emerged that Littler is a big Manchester United fan. He was then invited as a special guest to Old Trafford for United's Premier League home match against Tottenham Hotspur and it was here that he was afforded the opportunity to meet the Red Devils' legendary former manager Ferguson.

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The 82-year-old Scot took the opportunity to give Littler a pep talk and offered some advice on how he can stay at the top of his sport for years to come. As per the Daily Star, Littler said: "It's been crazy. Warrington Wolves invited me down and I went to the United game (a 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Sunday) and met Sir Alex Ferguson.

"To meet him was amazing and he said some lovely things to me about staying dedicated and believing in myself. My life's changed and my family's life has changed so much, and I'm grateful for the opportunities I'm getting. But now it's