PROMISING Kent darts player Kirk Shepherd is shaping up for a shot at the professionals after recording the biggest tournament win of his young career.

The 17-year-old, from Woodville Road, Ramsgate, beat some of the world’s top juniors on his way to becoming the Winmau World Masters youth champion.

The under-18 tournament at the Spa Royal Hall, Bridlington, attracted competitors from 29 countries and Shepherd is only the third English player in the event’s 30-year history to triumph.

His father Keith admitted that his success had surprised everyone. Previously the youngster had not progressed beyond the regional rounds.

Mr Shepherd said: “We knew that if he played as well as he could he had a chance. I think nerves got to him a bit in the semi-final, which he won 4-3, but he played superbly in the final.”

Shepherd defeated Irish Masters champion Daryl Gurney 4-3 in the semi-final before claiming the title with a 4-0 success over Dutch rival Jeroen Verhoeven.

The Winmau Masters is one of the biggest tournaments in the world and TV coverage for the men’s final, won by England’s Tony West, peaked at 2.9 million.

The BBC had planned to show the youth finals but because the final between West and Dutchman Raymond Van Barneveld overran they ran out of air time.

Shepherd, a former pupil of Ramsgate’s Hereson School, recently started work at FK Moore and Son, on the Haine Industrial Estate, but he still finds time to practise every night.

This year he helped Kent’s men’s team back into the top tier of the county championship and he also represented England in the Junior European Cup.

His ambition is to play in the Embassy World Darts Tournament and he plans to enter several British Darts Organisation ranked events including the Dutch, Belgium and British opens.

He has also been picked to play for England in the Junior Home Internationals in January, and the 2004 Junior European Cup, in Germany.

For his trip to Bridlington Shepherd was grateful for the sponsorship he received from Robert Weatherly and Mick Wells of Compass Car Hire, Ramsgate.