"I’d much rather play in any other country than in the Netherlands" - Michael van Gerwen feels the pressure of home crowd expectation ahead of Premier League Darts

Tonight in Rotterdam, the 11th match night of the 2025 Premier League Darts takes place. Michael van Gerwen will face Stephen Bunting in the quarterfinals, competing in front of his home crowd.

Van Gerwen is excited to play at home, but he knows that performing well is never guaranteed. “I’ve had many great results at Ahoy, but I’ve also had some dramatic years,” he told De Telegraaf.

Just two weeks ago, Van Gerwen had to pull out of the 9th match night in Berlin due to a bizarre back injury. “I once threw my back out from sneezing, and this was one of those situations. It happened while I was putting on a t-shirt. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. A little too fast, a little too awkward. Welcome to my world.”

While playing in front of a home crowd is something Van Gerwen enjoys, it also brings added pressure. “The pressure at Ahoy is immense, as I’ve said before,” says the 35-year-old Dutchman. “It’s just the way it is. You hear everything in your own language. Does that make a difference? Absolutely. If you ask me – and I’m speaking purely about darts here – I’d much rather play in any other country than in the Netherlands. It’s simply much harder here for various reasons. That’ll only change when we start playing here every other week, like we do in England and Germany.”

Van Gerwen is, however, well-prepared for the challenges. “There are small details to consider. Sponsors, relationships, friends, and family all come to watch. They all expect something from me. Saying I’m ‘affected’ might sound like too strong a word, but I’m only human. I’m also a perfectionist. I want everything to go smoothly, with no issues, and I want to please everyone. But at the end of the day, I also have to perform and make sure I’m at my best. How do I deal with it? I’d consider it a weakness if I suddenly started doing things differently. I think I just have to enjoy it and embrace it, because it’s an incredible experience, and you don’t get to have it very often.”

‘Mighty Mike’ has already won nearly everything there is to win in his career, but the last few months have been tough. “Sometimes I want to be faster and better than I’m actually capable of at that moment,” he admits. “And yes, that means sometimes I don’t throw as freely as I should. When you overthink things, everything happens that you really shouldn’t be doing. You become sloppy, make unnecessary mistakes, and can get knocked back. It’s something you need to let go of, but it’s part of being human. I’m someone with bravado, and when I don’t perform well, I’m okay with people talking about it. I’ll only start worrying when they stop talking about it. I have no doubt I can still win this season. Why else would I be participating? For fun and games? The fire is still burning inside me.”