Darts sensation Luke Littler has expressed his sorrow over the death of boxing icon Ricky Hatton, who was discovered deceased at his Manchester residence on Sunday.
The 18-year-old darts prodigy shared his condolences whilst speaking at a Target Darts retail outlet launch in Manchester city centre, located mere hundreds of metres from the venue where Hatton once drew massive crowds for his boxing matches.
The young athlete disclosed that news of the former world champion's death reached him through fellow darts professionals Chris Dobey and Ross Smith.
Social media platforms have been overwhelmed with commemorations for the Stockport-born boxer, with Littler noting that "Instagram, Facebook, everything's just full of Ricky."
Ricky Hatton was found dead in his Greater Manchester home on Sunday
|PA
Littler revealed his deep appreciation for boxing history, explaining how he regularly views classic fights during quiet evenings. "What I do, when I'm bored at night, I just go through old boxing fights and stuff like that," he revealed.
The teenager particularly enjoyed watching Hatton's legendary encounters alongside his father.
JUST IN: Emma Raducanu's Billie Jean King Cup decision infuriates Team GB captain: 'Disappointing'
"My dad was talking about it [Hatton's best bouts], the fight against [Manny] Pacquiao and [Floyd] Mayweather, where he's winning it. The ref was splitting it up," Littler recalled.
These shared viewing experiences created a personal connection to the late boxer, despite the two never having met in person.
Littler expressed regret about never encountering Hatton personally, despite learning from colleagues that the boxer had been a regular attendee at darts tournaments.
"I think they said he was at the [World Darts] Matchplay for years and years on the run, but I never got the chance to meet him. It is sad," the teenager revealed.
**SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY GB NEWS SPORTS NEWSLETTER HERE**
Luke Littler has admitted regret over never meeting Ricky Hatton, who was a big darts fan
|GETTY
The darts star acknowledged striking similarities between his own meteoric rise and Hatton's career trajectory.
Both athletes generated extraordinary fan enthusiasm in their individual sports, with Littler recognising the distinctive experience of commanding an audience as a solo competitor.
"Definitely," he agreed when asked about parallels between their abilities to energise crowds.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
The young darts champion contemplated the transformative effect both athletes have had on their sports.
"I know myself, I've changed the sport in many ways," Littler said, speaking about darts' recent expansion.
"For Target this is probably one of the biggest they have done," he said, referencing their previous pop-up location at West Ham United's stadium two years prior.
Tributes have been laid all over Manchester for Ricky Hatton
|PA
Littler emphasised the collaborative nature of the sport's development.
"Us players, we do our job on the board and then it impacts on all the fans wanting to buy all our products," he explained, crediting Target's staff for their dedication to the project.