The impact of Luke Littler on darts has been impossible to ignore over the last few years.
The teenage sensation has helped bring a new audience to the sport, sparked wider media attention, and inspired a younger generation to get involved.
It’s the kind of seismic shift that snooker has long been searching for.
Speaking during the 2026 World Snooker Championship qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, Barry Hawkins identified two young players who could help drive a similar surge in snooker.
Stan Moody leading the charge in Britain
If there is one player closest to delivering a Littler-style breakthrough, Hawkins believes it is Stan Moody.
Like Littler, Moody is just 19 and has enjoyed a steady rise up the ranks over the last couple of seasons.
He already boasts several eye-catching results on the professional circuit, including a recent 5-4 victory over John Higgins at the World Open.
Hawkins views Moody as the standout young British prospect and someone capable of becoming a major figure in the sport.
“If anyone can become a big name in this sport, Stan’s got the best chance,” said reigning Welsh Open champion Hawkins.
“He has improved so much over the last couple of years. He genuinely is the flagbearer for the younger generation, especially the young British players.”
Moody will begin his latest bid to reach the Crucible for the first time in round three of the qualifying competition, where he faces either Robbie Williams or Ross Muir.
There is a growing sense that a deep run from the teenager on one of snooker’s biggest stages could have a transformative effect.
“If Stan were to go all the way in a tournament at some point, then that would be amazing for the game,” Hawkins added.
“It would get more of the young players involved. Just look what Luke did for the darts – it’s just mental.”
Yet Hawkins, who was beaten 5-0 when he played Moody earlier this season, also offered a note of caution, suggesting that the young Englishman may be something of an exception.
“[But] I wouldn’t get too carried away. Stan’s obviously a very good player, so it was no surprise that he beat John. It was not a shock to me at all.”
“But as far as it being a watershed moment, I don’t think there’s going to be an influx of young talent coming through and bashing up the Class of ’92 any time soon. Stan’s a bit of an outlier in that respect.”
Szubarczyk emerging as a future global star
While Moody represents the immediate hope for a breakout star in the UK, Hawkins also pointed to an exciting talent from continental Europe.
Michal Szubarczyk has already made headlines this week in Sheffield after becoming the youngest-ever winner of a World Championship match.
The 15-year-old produced a superb display to beat Ng On Yee 10-7 on Monday and will next face Sanderson Lam in the second round.
Hawkins admitted that he has only seen limited footage of the Pole so far, but the early signs – and reports from within the game – are extremely encouraging.
“There’s a young lad from Poland, Michal Szubarczyk. He’s only 15 years old, and he plays brilliantly already,” Hawkins told 247Bet.
“By all accounts, he’s got all the potential in the world. I think if anybody new is going to go on and win something like the World Championship in the future, it would be him.
“It’d be great for the sport if someone like him could help grow the game in Europe.”
A different kind of breakthrough
Snooker did, of course, experience a landmark moment as recently as last year.
Zhao Xintong became the first player from China to win a world title at the Crucible, a historic achievement that represented a significant step forward for the sport’s global growth.
The world number four has backed that up this term too, underlining his class with a recent clean sweep of the Players Series titles.
But while Zhao’s success has undoubtedly helped elevate snooker’s profile in China again, it doesn’t quite mirror the kind of youthful explosion that Littler has brought to darts.
At 29, Zhao is still relatively young by snooker standards, but he is already an established professional rather than a teenage prodigy bursting onto the scene.
That is where the intrigue around players like Moody and Szubarczyk lies.
If snooker is to experience a similar surge in attention and participation, it may ultimately require a much younger star to capture the imagination in the same way.
For now, the search for that defining spark goes on, but there are at least a couple of names already beginning to generate genuine excitement.
Photo credits: WST / Sandro Halank
