"He whooped my ass again in Saudi Arabia": Gian van Veen looks to beat Luke Littler 'for the people' in Premier League opener

Gian van Veen secured a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Nathan Aspinall in the second round of the 2026 Winmau World Masters, delivering a performance that combined resilience, clinical finishing, and composure under pressure. Speaking after the match, van Veen reflected on the challenges he faced and his outlook for the coming days.

“Of course, Nathan outscored me today—he was scoring phenomenal—but he missed so many chances,” van Veen said post match. “He told me after the game that, of course, he was devastated, but he’s a good guy when he loses, and he did that today as well. Of course, I’m really happy with the win, but maybe it feels a little bit stolen.”

Despite acknowledging Aspinall’s scoring dominance, van Veen emphasized the importance of his finishing in securing the victory. “I know I can score with the best, especially finishing-wise. I know I can take some good checkouts under pressure. I did that today as well—especially the 72 to go 2-1 up in sets—and then afterwards I got a bit lucky, maybe, to get a couple of sets extra. Tonight’s scoring was a bit up and down: a couple of 180s, then 58s–60s. But my finishing really won me that game.”

Looking ahead to the later stages of the tournament, van Veen remained measured. “When you’re in the last eight, you’re always looking forward to getting to the final, maybe even picking up the title. But I’m just going to take it game by game. Today was a tough game. Tomorrow against James Wade is going to be another very tough game. If you look at the record between me and him, it’s not in my favour. So, I’m just going to focus on that game and then see what happens.”

On whether he analyses his past records and statistics, van Veen explained, “Not really. If it’s very close, I don’t really look at it. But I know James beat me many more times than I did him, especially on stage. So, I’m just going to focus on what I’ve been doing the past couple of months. If I score well, finish well, then I know I’ve got a chance. We all know what kind of player James is, and he’s very, very good. So, yes, I’m going to need to take my chance tomorrow.”

Reflecting on how the victory compares to past successes, van Veen admitted, “Probably one of the biggest wins of my career. But now, number three in the World Championship final, you’re expected to win these sorts of games. I haven’t changed as much as a player as I was 12 months ago. It’s always tricky against Nathan. He was maybe even a better player today, but he missed his chance and I took mine.”

He also discussed the mindset required to handle expectations and pressure. “Not really. Of course, there’s going to be some extra pressure, but I just want to perform well. I’m here only for myself. I don’t care what anyone else says about me—I just want to perform for myself. That’s the main goal. Of course, if everyone talks about me and they put extra pressure on me, you can feel it. But I’m just here to do well for myself.”

Van Veen acknowledged Aspinall’s scoring superiority but highlighted the key moments that swung the match. “He was scoring so well—so many 180s, 140s—and he was probably outscoring me. But when he missed three or six darts at a double, I was there to get my chances and nick those legs. I think it can happen once or twice during a game, but not three or four times, which happened today. Nathan knows that as well. His scoring was phenomenal, but he missed so many chances. I’m sure he’s going to be devastated, but that cost him the game today.”

Looking back on previous encounters with James Wade, van Veen said, “I’m better prepared now. Blackpool was only six or seven months ago—it feels really close—but since then I’ve got so much more experience. Winning the major, getting to the World Championship Final… Tomorrow, I’ll be prepared. I know what I’m up for and what I need to do to beat him. Hopefully tomorrow is going to be the day.”

When asked about other sports, van Veen gave his thoughts on the tennis clash in Australia. “My honest prediction? Alcaraz is going to smash him. He’s playing so well this tournament. I watched the game yesterday against Zverev—from the last two sets, he played phenomenal. Djokovic maybe got a bit lucky, especially in the quarter-finals against Musetti when he was 2-0 down and pulled out. I think Alcaraz is going to win tomorrow. Griekspoor, Van der Zandschulp, Jesper de Jong—they’re phenomenal players, but at the top, it’s Alcaraz.”

Van Veen also discussed the benefits of playing in the afternoon session, given the potential for a long day ahead. “If you asked me yesterday, I would have said not beneficial because I don’t like playing in the afternoon. But now that I’ve won that game, tomorrow could be a very long day. Now I’ve got the win under my belt, I can relax tonight and be 100% ready for the game tomorrow. So yes, I think it’s beneficial.”

On the Premier League and his rivalry with Luke Littler, van Veen said, “Feeling really good. After the World Series, it’s been a hectic couple of weeks after the World Championship, then the World Series, but I’m feeling good this weekend. Hopefully, I’ll get a deep run, maybe even lift the title tomorrow evening. Then straight back home and on to Newcastle for the Premier League, which I’m really looking forward to. Of course, a rematch against Luke Littler, I’m excited to make my debut there.”

He added about their renewed rivalry: “It’s not a hindrance; it’s motivation. Everyone talked about the World Final, they expected it to be closer than it was and he whooped my ass again in Saudi Arabia, so I’m really looking forward to playing him again on Thursday in Newcastle. We’ll renew the rivalry, and hopefully I’ll get one back. Maybe for the people, but not for me. In the shorter format, he’s beatable. He’s a fantastic player, as he showed yesterday under pressure. But I know in the Premier League, best of 11, he’s beatable. If it doesn’t happen on Thursday, I’m sure we’ll play many more times, and I’ll get one over him eventually.”

Finally, van Veen reflected on the role of the “villain” in the rivalry. “Fifteen or twenty years ago, we had Taylor against Barney, it was Taylor, the home-soil player, and Barney, the villain. Hopefully, over the next couple of years, it will be the same with Luke and me. That would be my dream, of course. But I’m just following my own path and we’ll see where it goes.”