'You need to have arrogance' - Rooney and Littler on being number one

Wayne Rooney and Luke Littler both know what it is like to be thrust into the limelight at a young age. A 16-year-old Rooney made the world sit up and take notice when he scored a stunning late winner for Everton against Arsenal in 2002. At 18, he joined Manchester United in a £27m move, and by the time he was 21 he was a Premier League champion.

Darts world number one Littler was also 16 when he burst on to the scene by reaching the final of the 2024 World Championship. He won both the Premier League and World Championship at 17 and successfully defended his world crown at 18. But when did Rooney and Littler realise that they could be among the best at such a young age?

"I've always had belief and this is where I think there's loads of comparisons [between us]. I think you have to have a certain level of arrogance to be at your best," Rooney told Littler in the latest episode of BBC Sport's The Wayne Rooney Show. "When I got in Everton's first team, I've said it many times, I felt like I was the best player at 16.

" For Littler, his moment of realisation came when he was beating players more than double his age. "I've been playing tournament-wise for many years, maybe my first proper tournament was at like nine, maybe 10," he said. "And just like Wayne said, when you've showed a bit of arrogance, the more you do it, obviously people might not like it, but as long as you feel comfortable about doing it, that's all that matters.