Inside story on Leeds United fan trying to end Luke Littler PDC World Darts Championship fairytale

Leeds United supporters will have extra reason to throw their backing behind Luke Humphries in Wednesday night’s World Darts Championship Final - because he is one of them!

The 28-year-old may well have been born in Berkshire but he is a lifelong supporter of the Whites and has spoken of his love for the club and how he came to follow the club in the recent past.

In reaching his first ever World Championship final, Humphries has set up what will be a historic clash against 16-year-old sensation Luke Littler - and to add extra spice to the contest, the youngster supports Manchester United. They will go head-to-head on Wednesday night as Humphries aims to add the world title to his Players Championship, Grand Slam of Darts and World Grand Prix titles.

But who is Luke Humphries and what has he said about supporting Leeds United?

What has Luke Humphries said about facing Luke Littler?

Speaking to Sky Sports in the aftermath of his whitewash win against Scott Williams, Humphries immediate set his sights on the historic final meeting with Littler and admitted he would have to be at his best to claim his first ever world title.

He said: “The way he's played, I've seen it many times. When you come up on this stage it can be a lot tougher but he's just proved he's got a lot of bottle. Nothing is going to faze him. If he plays like he did tonight, tomorrow is not going to faze him at all, so I will probably have to play the game of my life.

“I will probably have to play like that again to stand a chance of beating him. I know what's in front of me and what the task is. I've got to play at my best tomorrow but I'm hoping I make him play his best as well and we give the fans hopefully one of the best World finals we have ever seen.”

Who has Luke Humphries beaten to reach the final?

Humphries wasted little time in overcoming his first hurdle at the World Championship by easing to a 3-0 win against Lee Evans before coming through a more stern challenge, seeing off Ricardo Pietreczko with a 4-3 victory after coming from two sets down.

Another thriller was lying in wait with a 4-3 win against Joe Cullen before Humphries went up through the gears with a 5-1 demolition of Dave Chisnall in the quarter-final and his 6-0 hammering of Scott Williams in Tuesday night’s semi-final.

What has Humphries said about supporting Leeds United?

In an interview with the club’s official website earlier this year, he spoke of his love for the club and revealed he has been a lifelong supporter of the Whites.

He said: “I think everyone knows I am named after the club, that’s no secret. My dad named me Luke, which stands for [L]eeds [U]nited [K]ings of [E]urope. I am not from Leeds, but the club really was in me from birth. It was great in the early years of my life, then we had a patch of hard times, but I really feel we’re now on the up as a club again despite what happened last year.

“Our fans are the best in the world, there is no doubt at all about that. The support and commitment they show is something I think that holds everyone together, and sets us apart from everyone else. Following the club has been a massive part of my life and will continue to be.”

Where can you watch the World Darts Championship Final?

Sky Sports have covered the entire tournament in full and they will provide live coverage from 8pm via their Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Darts channel.