Michael van Gerwen has dismissed the recent incident between Gian van Veen and Luke Littler in Manchester as overblown, insisting such moments are part and parcel of top-level darts. Speaking ahead of his Premier League return in Rotterdam, the Dutchman made it clear he has little interest in fuelling the narrative. "Listen, you all know there have been a million incidents over the years," Van Gerwen said. "People like to make a story out of it. People love to write about things, try to make them bigger and try to get answers out of you. I’ve done enough interviews to know what you want to hear from me, but I’m not going to say it. Nothing really happened. Otherwise, I’d have been in the papers every week with Phil Taylor. It’s also emotion. Things like that happen."
While the headlines may focus elsewhere, Van Gerwen’s attention is on performing in front of a home crowd in Rotterdam that continues to demand the highest standards. "We don’t play that often in Holland on the big stage, only a few times a year," he said. "When the fans are coming, of course there’s more pressure on your shoulders. That’s part of it. You want to give them something extra and do well in front of your own crowd." Despite sharing the Rotterdam spotlight with another Dutchman in Gian van Veen this year, Van Gerwen does not believe it changes the dynamic. "I don’t think that matters," he said. "We had it before with myself and Raymond. It’s just part of it."
The three-time world champion heads into Night 11 on the back of a solid week in Brighton, although he admits he could be in an even stronger position in the table. "If I’m critical, I should have had three, four, maybe five points extra," he said. "That’s not the case, so you need to keep battling and grafting. Every game is important. You need to make sure you’re in the top four and get to the O2, it’s as simple as that." That race for the play-offs is tighter than usual this season, something Van Gerwen believes adds to the spectacle. "It’s definitely good for the crowd," he said. "Most years it’s not this close, but this year it is. There’s a lot at stake in every game."
On the oche, Van Gerwen faces a resurgent Jonny Clayton in Rotterdam, fresh from a run of strong results. "If you look at his performances in the last week, everything goes his way in the Premier League," he said. "People are missing match darts against him, he’s on fire. Fair play to him, but I need to make sure I stop him in Holland." That clash comes shortly after a painful defeat to Clayton, where Van Gerwen squandered a 5–2 lead and missed multiple match darts, although he remains philosophical about the result. "If you look through my week, I think the final was probably my best game," he said. "I didn’t do myself any justice there, but it is what it is. Don’t be too harsh on yourself, there’s still a long way to go."
As always, Van Gerwen remains aware of the shifting narratives around his form, but insists he is unfazed by outside opinion. "I hope they write me off. I hope they underestimate me," he said. "But I just need to make sure I do the talking myself." And when it comes to the performances of others, including Littler, his focus remains firmly inward. "I have to do what I have to do, and what other people do is not up to me." Returning home to Rotterdam for a yearly visit, he is prepared as ever to put on a show and give everyone what they've paid for in front of a sea of Orange at the Ahoy.
