Gerwyn Price tips Van Veen as contender for PDC World Darts Championship title: "Right now he's in top form, and I think he's only going to get better"

Speaking to SPORTbible during the launch of Fireball's Final Boss campaign, Gerwyn Price shined his light on four young ProTour players he believes could go far at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in December.

'The Iceman' has shouted out two very talented Dutchman. "Gian van Veen is obviously playing pretty well. And Wessel Nijman is also doing fine," opened the Welshman. He also pinpointed British duo Josh Rock and Bradley Brooks after a successful year. "Also Josh Rock has picked up steam this year and has found his form a bit again at the Grand Slam of Darts. In addition, Bradley Brooks was fantastic, he even made a final. On floor he played really rock solid."

Interestingly, all four names mentioned by Price are between 23 and 25 years of age, with Van Veen the youngest of the bunch. The brand-new junior champion is especially appealing to Price. "I think he's a fantastic player. You can see from everything that the pressure doesn't bother him. He always stays cool, calm and composed. For someone who has struggled with that at times: hats off," he spoke in praise.

"He's simply a great player," Price continued. "And guys like that will probably be the ones left in 10 to 15 years to take the heat off players like Luke Littler. Right now he's in top form, and I think he's only going to get better. That's great to see."

The Welshman also spoke about his own chances this year at the World Darts Championship. Price travels to Ally Pally with confidence after a strong second half of the season. He won a tournament on both the European Tour and the World Series this year and reached the semifinals at the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals earlier this month.

"I definitely feel more confident compared to last year," said the 2021 world champion. "Last year was maybe one of my worst seasons. But this year I'm starting to get back into a little better shape. Once the Premier League is over and you get some more rest, you have more time at home and you feel like getting going again. Then I often start playing better."

According to 'The Iceman,' it's mostly about a positive mindset. "I had some help last year just before the World Championship, that gave me the right confidence and the right mindset. I was much more positive after the Premier League. It's tough to play in that league, but as long as I stayed positive and enjoyed it, the performances came. And as the season progressed, so did the results."

One thing may change before the World Championship: his walk-on. Price swapped his iconic "Ice Ice Baby" for Myles Smith's "Nice To Meet You" during the Grand Slam of Darts, but he didn't sound truly convinced yet. "Probably I'll keep the new song. But then I want to find the right piece of the song. Right now it doesn't feel like the same song I hear in the car when you come up with it. But if we find the right balance and the right snippet, I'm sure there's enough energy in it," he concluded.