Luke Littler HEADBUTTS wall celebrating England’s epic comeback win to reach World Cup semis including Big Fish checkout

LUKE LITTLER celebrated England’s stunning World Cup of Darts comeback by HEADBUTTING a wall in a bizarre outburst of emotion.

The teenage sensation was overcome with relief and excitement after helping England snatch an incredible 8-7 victory over Wales in a dramatic quarter-final clash in Frankfurt.

Littler and partner Luke Humphries looked destined for an early exit after falling 4-0 behind, but the star duo produced a remarkable turnaround before edging a tense deciding leg to reach the semi-finals.

The 19-year-old roared in celebration after pinning double two with his third match dart and immediately turned to the crowd, responding to German fans who had made their feelings clear throughout the contest.

Moments later, Littler sprinted across the stage and, in an unusual celebration, drove his head into the sponsor boards.

It was a painful-looking release of emotion from the reigning world champion, who admitted he had been feeling the pressure during the deciding leg.

The tension had already boiled over earlier when Littler produced a spectacular 170 checkout in the 13th leg and marked it with his trademark Big Fish celebration.

Reflecting on the match, Littler said: “I always say it, on a 170 I try to float my darts and get them into that treble.

“Throughout the game, me and Luke were so close to the trebles. We hit so many 60s and 58s.

“The 170 let a bit of emotion out. Jonny and Nick held throw and took it to a last leg. I was feeling the pressure there, big time.

“We know now that whether we’re 4-0 down or heading into a deciding leg, we have to keep working. That’s exactly what we did. Once we got ourselves in front, we both found our game and battled through.”

The German crowd had gleefully chanted “England’s going home” as Wales threatened a major upset, but the world’s top two-ranked players refused to buckle.

England remain favourites for the title and survived what could prove to be their toughest challenge of the tournament.

They now face Scotland’s pairing of Cameron Menzies and Gary Anderson in the semi-finals.

Wales had raced into a commanding 4-0 lead and almost extended it further when Jonny Clayton narrowly missed double top for a 5-0 advantage.

Nick Kenny could barely watch, turning away as his team-mate aimed for the crucial double.

Despite the absence of two-time World Cup winner Gerwyn Price, who opted not to compete, Wales continued to impress and held a 5-2 lead at the scheduled break.

But after the restart, England found another gear.

Littler and Humphries reeled off a series of crucial legs to move 6-5 ahead before keeping their composure in a nerve-shredding finale.

Humphries said: “That was a slobberknocker of a game. Jonny was peppering the treble every single visit and putting us under pressure.

“At the break, Luke and I felt we were playing okay, but our doubles were letting us down.

“We knew if we could improve on those doubles, we’d give ourselves a real chance. After the break we found a great spell.

“My God, what a 170 finish that was from Luke.

“In moments like that, you feel the nerves and the pressure. Everyone could see it at the end.

“Once we got going, we found our rhythm and our connection as a team. Matches like that bring partnerships together.

“We know now that when the pressure is at its highest, we can still perform at the highest level, and that gives us confidence going forward.”