Luke Littler was left in an awkward spot during a live Sky Sports segment before watching his beloved Warrington Wolves on Friday night.
The reigning world darts champion was a guest of honour for their Super League match against the Catalan Dragons, with the night geared towards celebrating his achievements at the oche.
For one night only, their home ground was renamed The Luke Littler Stadium and he was invited onto the pitch to parade the Sid Waddell Trophy ahead of kick-off.
Littler, a lifelong Warrington fan and season ticket holder, also appeared on Sky Sports for an interview before the match and took part in a unique challenge.
He was tasked with throwing a rugby ball at another rugby ball, which had been placed on a kicking tee, with the aim of knocking it off.
Unsurprisingly, he nailed the challenge at the first attempt but was quickly interrupted by the presenter, who forgot to specify that he was not supposed to throw the ball like a dart.
Warrington player Matty Ashton, who was stood next to Littler, also appeared to challenge the teenager over his throwing style.
« Oh, hang on! Sorry! Wait, wait, wait, » said the presenter, scrambling over her words. « I meant to say you can’t throw it like that! But you know what? You’re a world champion so I’m going to let you have it. »
Littler also admitted to being taken aback by the level of support he had received from Warrington, to the point of renaming their stadium after him for their match against the Catalan Dragons.
« It means a lot, » he said. « For myself, what I’ve done over the last 18 months and the support of the lads, all the staff and everyone at Warrington. Tonight is going to be a very special night.
« It’s been crazy, the amount of youngsters and the academies that have started up all over the country and even across Europe. The impact that I’ve had on the darts itself has been crazy. »
Asked to explain how he became a fan of the club, Littler replied: « This is where I grew up, it’s the local rugby team. I’ve been here for years in the south stand cheering the boys on. To have the stadium named after me, it’s going to be a good night. »
Warrington chief executive Karl Fitzpatrick previously underlined the importance of celebrating Littler’s achievements, given that he is very much considered one of their own.
« Luke’s achievements on the world stage have been nothing short of incredible and we are immensely proud to celebrate his success with this special homecoming, » said Fitzpatrick.
« He’s a true Warrington fan and, therefore, renaming our stadium in his honour for our home opener is a fitting tribute. »
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