“Guiding talent is the greatest thing there is” – Michael van Gerwen’s ‘discoverer’ still scours pubs in search of Dutch darts talent

Everyone who takes up darts dreams of one day becoming the next Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, or Luke Humphries. The chances of that actually happening are slim, and few players make it to the absolute elite.

Someone who knows what it takes to guide young players to the top is Frank van Creij, the former manager of Van Gerwen when he was at the start of what is now a successful career. Now 55, he still scours pubs years later in search of new talent.

Van Creij has been around the sport for over 30 years, and after a period of taking things a bit easier, he has been back as a manager for the past four years. Well-known names like Jimmy van Schie and Jeffrey Sparidaans, who both recently won their Tour Card at Q-School, come from Van Creij’s talent pool.

“I get hundreds of messages a year, often from darters around forty. But I don’t go there, I focus on prospects. A footballer doesn’t sign for Real Madrid at 40 either,” Van Creij told the Brabants Dagblad. He mentors players and maps out a realistic route to the top. He also pays for hotels and entry fees for the tournaments where the players compete.

But why does he do it? There’s one simple answer: he loves the sport. “Guiding talent is the best thing there is. There are many boys who are eager but don’t get the chance. I do need to see something in them, because it’s a long and intensive process. The standard has only gone up in recent years.”

The next Michael van Gerwen could well already be in Van Creij’s ranks. At the moment he mentors around 20 darters. And he believes several of them can “mix it with the world’s best.” It’s not as easy as it sounds, though. “Everything has to line up. A lad might have just become a father, and then it’s hard to be away from home for 40 weeks a year. And many guys have jobs on the side; you don’t become financially independent as a darter overnight. Still, you’ll be hearing from those lads in the coming years, brace yourself,” said the 55-year-old manager.

One of those prospects is 18-year-old Danio Aalders, who will compete on the Development Tour this year. He was tipped to Van Creij several times and, after his father’s passing in 2024, is more motivated than ever. “Darts was our thing. On his deathbed my father asked me to carry on and give it everything, and I’m doing it for that too. I’m still combining it with school, but my dream is to become a professional darter. Like Gian van Veen—I look up to him, as a person as well. And he shows how fast it can go,” said Aalders.