"He's the most overlooked player on Tour" – Gary Anderson sets up intriguing World Grand Prix quarter-final clash

Gary Anderson’s pursuit of another major title is starting to gather some real menace. The two-time world champion rolled back the years on Wednesday night, brushing aside Joe Cullen in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix — and he did it with a shrug, a smile, and a little nod toward one of the circuit’s most quietly consistent names.

Anderson’s 3–0 victory over Cullen was as routine as they come. The Scotsman raced through the opening set without dropping a leg, while Cullen’s double trouble reached excruciating levels — at one point failing to land a single starting double in multiple legs. The pattern never changed. Anderson’s 87.54 average, coupled with a 56 per cent checkout rate, told the story of a man in complete command of his game, while his opponent’s 68 average told a very different one.

“I started off well, but the scoring was terrible,” Anderson admitted afterwards, in typically blunt fashion. “Joe had a few legs — six or seven, maybe more — where he just didn’t kick off, and that makes it hard. If you don’t hit that double, it’s a tough game.”

Even so, the 53-year-old looked the part: crisp on the outer ring, rhythmic through the middle, and completely unbothered by the format that once caused him such grief. “Double-start, double-finish — my worst nightmare,” he joked. “I can’t hit a double to finish, never mind start! You’ll probably see in my next game I’ll score well but can’t start, or I’ll start well and can’t finish. One of those.”

Anderson’s next assignment comes against Danny Noppert, and he couldn’t have been more complimentary about the Dutchman’s qualities — even if he suspects the rest of the darting world has been slow to notice.

“Danny’s the most overlooked player going,” he said. “He’s a cracking lad, a proper grafter. You give him a sniff and he’ll take it. You never really hear him mentioned, do you? That’s why. But he’s classy — solid as they come. He might not always bang in 115 averages, but he’s always there. Always knocking on the door. Great lad, tough lad, proper darts player.”

Noppert has been in the thick of things all season, a quiet menace in the latter stages of tournaments, and Anderson expects nothing less this time around. “If you look at any event — European, ProTour — he’s always about the quarters or semis. Rarely goes out early. He just keeps ploughing on. Strong, solid dart player.”

Despite his self-effacing tone, Anderson’s results this week have underlined that he remains a serious contender — even as the next generation of heavy scorers continues to rise. He watched Luke Littler’s thriller against Gian van Veen with admiration, and there was no hint of envy in his voice as he praised them both.

“Van Veen’s a lovely kid, got his head screwed on,” he said. “He’s already very good, and he’s only going to get better. In the next few years he’ll be right up there. Littler, Van Veen, Josh Rock, Wessel Nijman — those lads are going to be your top four or five in a few years, no doubt about it.”

Asked whether he takes pride in still competing with those players, Anderson grinned. “I can still chuck in big numbers too — that’s what gets to them. When my game’s right, they’ve got to play really well to beat me. If it’s not, they’ll be all over me like a rash. But I’m not thinking about myself anymore. Those days are kind of gone. I’m talking about the future of darts.”

Anderson also offered a few words of wisdom for friend and fellow world champion Michael Smith, who’s endured a lean spell of late. “When you get into that bubble, it’s hard to get out,” he said. “I play darts now and people can call me whatever they want — I don’t care. I just like playing darts. I don’t care if I win or lose. But these lads are still young, mid-thirties, got a long way to go.

“When you get into that ‘I can’t win a game’ mindset, it’s tough. Sometimes you just need one ugly win and that bubble bursts, then you’re back. The more you think about it, the worse it gets. Best thing is to put it aside and carry on.”

It’s a philosophy that sums up the modern Anderson: relaxed, realistic, and still utterly lethal when the mood takes him. “I just play darts,” he said. “A lot of players panic when they struggle and just pack it in. I don’t see the point. Getting beat’s part of the job. You just keep going. So that’s what I’ll do — play as long as I can. Simple as that.”