Former professional Mark Webster has weighed in on the debate over who is the greatest Dutch darts player of all time, giving a clear edge to Michael van Gerwen over Raymond van Barneveld. On the Love the Darts Podcast, Webster stated, "Yeah, Michael, I think," explaining his choice from the perspective of a fellow player who has competed against both legends. He praised Van Gerwen's peak performance, saying, "He was just unbelievable at times. He had that aura, he had that arrogance. At the time, the sport needed it." Webster also highlighted Van Gerwen's character, noting he is "a good guy with it as well, a complete package" who conducts himself well in defeat and has been "massive for the sport."
Van Gerwen's credentials include 48 major titles, ranking second on the all-time list, along with a record 38 Euro Tour titles and 36 Players Championship wins, underscoring his dominance in recent years. Currently world number 4, Webster added that Van Gerwen "remains someone to be reckoned with" and that watching him "gets me off my seat." He pointed to Van Gerwen's emotional reactions as a key impact, saying, "I think his emotions, he was the first one to have those big reactions, wasn't he? Phil Taylor didn't like it. So yeah, for me, Michael edges it."
Raymond van Barneveld, meanwhile, has a storied legacy with five world titles—four with the BDO and one with the PDC—including a historic 2007 World Championship final win over Phil Taylor. At 58, he remains active and regularly qualifies for major PDC tournaments. Analyst Chris Murphy added nuance to the debate, arguing that Van Barneveld's BDO world titles are often undervalued and that his immediate impact after switching to the PDC was significant. Murphy noted, "The interesting thing is if you go to the Netherlands, Barney's probably still more popular than van Gerwen, which probably rankles with Michael a little bit." However, Murphy ultimately leaned toward Van Gerwen for "pure ability and the stats and the domination," concluding, "I'll say Van Gerwen."
