The Littler effect, Van Gerwen lurking and Premier League darts puzzle - 5 things we've learned from the Ally Pally

Darts fans have been treated to a fabulous nine days at the Ally Pally with a host of talking points and storylines from the Paddy Power Wold Championship.

Record Sport's Craig Swan has been there for the duration, bringing you all the drama in our daily live blog from London.

As the tournament takes a break for Christmas, our man picks out the key points from chapter one of this year's story.

It’s easy to forget that Luke Littler is just 17 years old. His first game at the Ally Pally was a timely reminder. The Nuke has done incredible things, not just for himself, but for the game. Darts has exploded again on the back of his astonishing exploits with a whole new generation of fans involved. And, incidentally, it’s not just media hype. There are senior players on the circuit openly discussing how he’s changing the game for them, bringing added riches. He’s got plenty on his young shoulders and he's not even old enough to have a drink or a bet.

Littler is having to deal with a lot and, for a brief moment, it just became overwhelming. You get the trappings of fame, but not without the strain. He’s handled himself brilliantly so far, but it’s not always going to be plain sailing and he deserves understanding and warmth whenever he has a blip or another moment in the future. Incidentally, it was wonderful to see the reception afforded to Luke Humphries on night one.

Littler’s effect meant that, in some respects, Cool Hand has never got as much attention and adulation as he should have done through the past 12 months as World Champ. It felt as though that wrong was being emphatically righted when he stepped back into the Ally Pally for the first time as champion and he fully deserved it. He’s a fabulous player and