Luke Littler wanted to play football instead of darts before his father intervened.
The teenager has won plenty of fans after recently making the final of the World Darts Championship.
Littler saw off the likes of Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross on his way to the final - only for Luke Humphries to beat him at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday night.
And it seems his career could have panned out extremely differently.
Luke Littler nearly played football instead of darts with details emerging following his success at the World Championship
PA
Speaking to BBC Radio 2, the teenager has revealed he actually wanted to play football as a youngster.
But his father, Anthony, intervened to push his son towards darts instead.
“I didn’t realise I was going to be this good," he said.
"I played football beforehand, every kid, every young person wants to be a footballer.
“My dad said, ‘hang your boots up let’s focus on darts’. I was like, ‘I love it though’.
“My dad said, ‘I think your ability to be a professional, you’ve got high chances.’
"Six year later here I am.”
Littler previously told The Times that his father 'just knew' he was destined to shine in darts if he left football behind.
“My dad just knew," he said.
"I stopped playing football and just focused on darts and this is where I am now, playing on the greatest stage of them all."
Anthony has also said Littler was 'good' at football - but felt he had to put his son on a different path when he was just nine years old.
“He was a good footballer. He loved football. All kids do," he said.
"But I said to him at nine, hang your boots up.
"Concentrate on darts. You can still play football here and there.
"But if there’s a darts comp on at the weekends, go to darts first.
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Luke Littler has no regrets about leaving football behind having finished second at the World Darts Championship
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"Make that your priority, because I thought he could make it at darts — and he has done.
"When I said to him, you need to keep playing darts, he was OK with it.
"We put him in every competition that was online.
"Sometimes you’re getting up at 7am on a Saturday — my only day off — just to play darts.
"There were no lie-ins."
Luke Littler lost to Luke Humphries in the final of the World Darts Championship
PA
Fast-forward to now and Littler will be thankful for his father's decision.
The teenager has won a staggering £200,000 in prize money after reaching the final in London.
But HRMC have been condemned after joking about the amount of tax he'll have to pay.
