"He’s looked like a shadow of himself – like a dead man walking" - Van der Voort concerned for Michael van Gerwen

Michael van Gerwen’s late withdrawal from last weekend’s European Tour event in Kiel has sparked questions about his preparation for the upcoming World Matchplay.

The three-time World Champion has played just four matches at the top level over the past six weeks – a strikingly light schedule for a player of his stature.

But according to close friend and fellow Dutch pro Vincent van der Voort, that break was anything but accidental. Speaking on the latest episode of the Darts Draait Door podcast, Van der Voort explained that Van Gerwen’s recent struggles on the World Series circuit led to some honest conversations.

“After the World Series events in New York and Poland, we sat down and talked a lot,” Van der Voort revealed. “Those tournaments were a real disappointment – in fact, they were pretty poor. So the question became: do you just keep blindly turning up and playing? We decided that, at that moment, training and rest were more important than squeezing in another event.”

Van Gerwen returned home to reset and has been working hard behind the scenes. “He’s done a lot of practice, that’s for sure,” said Van der Voort. “I think it was the better choice.”

His decision not to appear in Kiel caused some headaches for the PDC – with last-minute replacements and a reshuffled draw required – but according to Van der Voort, Van Gerwen is unlikely to have lost sleep over it. “He’s learned not to pull out too early anymore – that’s bitten him a few times this year. And as for a fine? He really couldn’t care less.”

Van Gerwen’s return to the spotlight couldn’t come on a bigger stage – or in a tougher first-round draw. The World Matchplay bracket has paired him with Raymond van Barneveld in what promises to be a blockbuster all-Dutch showdown. “Neither of them will be happy with that draw,” Van der Voort predicted. “But a matchup like that is guaranteed to put both of them on high alert from the very start.”

The two Dutch legends have only met once before at the biggest PDC ranking event outside of the World Championship. Back in 2009, a young Van Gerwen was handed a heavy 10-3 defeat by Van Barneveld. “Michael took a real beating that day,” Van der Voort recalled. “But he was still in the early stages of his development back then, while Raymond was very much still one of the best in the world.”

What Van der Voort sees now in Van Gerwen, however, is a lack of the explosive energy that once defined him. “He used to be full of energy – bouncing around like a rubber ball. Now it’s completely different. I can tell the moment he walks on stage: if it’s a slow, lifeless entrance without any presence, I already know what kind of game it’s going to be. Especially lately, he’s looked like a shadow of himself – like a dead man walking.”