Luke Littler believes he will be able to stand alongside the giants of the game if he wins a second successive World Championship title.
The precocious teenager looks unstoppable as he reached a third successive final at Alexandra Palace with a 6-1 demolition of Ryan Searle in the last four.
Few will back against him lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy on Saturday night, which will see him become the first man to win back-to-back titles since Gary Anderson a decade ago.
Littler is dominating the sport in the same way Phil Taylor did for the best part of 20 years and Michael van Gerwen did during the mid-2010s.
And the 18-year-old says getting his hands on the silverware will put him in the same bracket.
“Obviously in their primes, they were just absolutely unbelievable. I was watching it as a kid,” Littler said.
“With what I’ve done, I can near enough say I’m playing just as well, with the titles, the averages, the amount of nine-darters on TV.
“Maybe if I get tomorrow, then I might be on my same level.
“I’ve got every right to think I can, but I never, ever say I’m going to win it.
“Never, ever. I never say I’m going to win this and that. We’ll just see how the darts go, because one day it’s different.”
If Littler does become champion – and it is going to take something special to stop him – he would collect a record £1million prize.
“It’s a massive prize, but it’s the trophy on the stage, it’s not the money,” he said. “I’m repeating myself, but ever since the Grand Slam I have just said I want to go back-to-back.
“So hopefully I can lift the trophy again and think about the money after.
“It feels great, not many people have done it, the first three World Championships reaching the final.
“I have joined a short list of people doing that. Now obviously the only goal is to join the list of people going back-to-back champions.”
