Luke Littler has revealed he cried on stage after his defeat to Peter Wright at the German Darts Championship due to the recent death of his friend's father.
The 17-year-old was 5-2 up at one stage but ended up being beaten 8-5 by his opponent.
Littler was visibly emotional after his defeat and cried.
The teenager then proceeded to pay tribute to his friend Ellis' late father.
Luke Littler was emotional after losing to Peter Wright in the final of the Darts German Championship
PDCDARTS
He said: “Fair play to Peter he’s played well all weekend and so have I.
"But I’ve got to take it on the chin.
“I have got to give a massive shout out to my friend Ellis. He lost his dad I’ve known him since I was three or four."
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Littler also wrote on Instagram, insisting he wasn't looking for 'sympathy' after narrowly missing out on the title.
"Not looking for sympathy or anything I was just trying to say how my best mate has lost his dad at such a young age," said the youngster.
"I've known Ellis since we was both 3, 4 and it's been on my mind all week.
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"[He's] the strongest lad I know and I just couldn't get the job done as I would [have] liked."
While it was a difficult defeat for Littler, Wright was pleased to secure glory.
He admitted that his opponent is a 'fantastic player' but was glad his self belief paid off, especially given how he was trailing earlier in the clash.
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Luke Littler has paid tribute to his friend Ellis' late father after his defeat at the German Darts Championship
“I just kept believing in myself," he said.
“Luke is a fantastic dart player and he was blowing me off the board with 180s, but I thought if I could keep with him, I might get back into it.
Luke Littler was beaten by Peter Wright in the final of the German Darts Championship on Sunday
PDCDARTS
“This means a lot to me. Luke is distraught because he wants to win.
"He’s a fighter, he’s a winner, and he’ll be back and beating us all again soon!”
