"If I did, I’d be crying in bed all week!": Gian van Veen doesn't want Luke Littler comparison

Gian van Veen admits the feeling of being a PDC major champion still hasn’t quite sunk in. Less than two weeks after his breakthrough triumph at the European Championship in Dortmund, the 22-year-old Dutch star is preparing for another busy spell of televised action — beginning with the Grand Slam of Darts, followed by the Players Championship Finals and the World Youth Championship Final.

“It’s settled in a little bit, but not 100% yet,” Van Veen smiled. “Maybe it’s going to take a couple of months before it really has, but the past week and a half has been like living on cloud nine.”

The victory in Dortmund was Van Veen’s first senior PDC title and confirmed his emergence as one of darts’ brightest young prospects. Unsurprisingly, the reaction back home in the Netherlands has been significant.

“It’s been really nice,” he said. “Loads of Dutch newspapers and TV stations wanted to do articles. We’ve been spoiled with Raymond [van Barneveld] and Michael [van Gerwen], and it’s been a while since someone new has won a major — Danny [Noppert] won the UK Open, but since then it’s been kind of quiet. So it’s great to see that attention again.”

Despite his maiden major success, Van Veen insists the pressure hasn’t changed heading into the Grand Slam, where he faces a daunting group that includes Josh Rock, Wessel Nijman, and Lisa Ashton.

“For me, not so much,” he said when asked if expectations feel different. “I just want to continue what I’ve been doing this year. My standard has been really good, and in Dortmund I finally got it over the line. I’m taking it as another tournament — of course with massive confidence from Dortmund.”

Van Veen’s path doesn’t get any easier. After the Grand Slam, he faces Luke Humphries in the opening round of the Players Championship Finals. But he’s determined to keep his mindset simple.

“It’s a very tough group stage again this year, nearly the same as last year,” he explained. “Hopefully I can repeat what I did then. It’ll be difficult, but if I can do that, I’ve got a really good chance of going through. I’m just going to enjoy it.”

And what about the growing chatter linking him to the 2025 Premier League? “Of course I want to be involved — it would be really nice,” he admitted. “But as soon as I’m in the practice room or on stage, I don’t think about it anymore. I just focus on the game ahead.”

Van Veen’s composure under pressure was one of the most striking elements of his European Championship victory. It’s something he believes could be key in the coming months.

“It gives me massive confidence,” he said. “This year on the European Tour I’ve lost countless semi-finals 7–6, really close games. But now that I’ve got over the line against Michael [van Gerwen] and Luke [Humphries] in deciding legs, I can look back and know I can hit those doubles under pressure. That’s huge for me going forward.”

The next big test will be the World Championship, where Van Veen is still searching for his first win at Alexandra Palace.

“My confidence is much higher now, and the performances have been better this year,” he said. “I’m in the top 10 in the world without winning a game at Ally Pally — hopefully that changes this year. I’m just going to enjoy it.”

Asked about avoiding a post-major slump — as happened to Mike de Decker after his Grand Prix success last year — Van Veen was pragmatic.

“Mike was around number 20 when he won, and I’m number seven now,” he said. “That’s a massive difference. I’m not defending a lot of money on the rankings before the Premier League cut-off, so I’m not going to drop much. If you’re top 10, you’re always in with a shout.

Of course, if I lose early in all three tournaments, I won’t get picked, and that’s fair enough. The Premier League is a dream, but my focus right now is on these tournaments and my ranking.”

With Raymond van Barneveld in the twilight of his career and Michael van Gerwen no longer quite as dominant, Van Veen could soon find himself leading the Dutch charge.

“It’s a possibility,” he said. “If I keep my numbers up like they’ve been this year, then maybe. But you never know with Michael — even when he’s not in great form, he can just turn it on, like last year when he reached the World Championship final. If he does that again, I probably won’t be near him, but if not, hopefully I’ll be there to take his spot.”

Still, Van Veen doesn’t feel burdened by expectations to be the next great Dutch star.

“Not really. Maybe from the outside, but I don’t feel that pressure,” he said. “We’ve got so many great players — Danny Noppert, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Wessel Nijman. If Michael’s form dips, I’m sure one of us will step up. Hopefully it’s me, but it doesn’t have to be.”

Van Veen’s rise has inevitably drawn comparisons with Luke Littler and Josh Rock — the trio often cited as darts’ “next generation.” But the Dutchman insists he’s keeping it in perspective.

“It’s nice to be mentioned in the same sentence as Luke Littler,” he said. “But what he’s done in the past two years is phenomenal. I don’t want to compare myself to him — if I did, I’d be crying in bed all week!

He performs under pressure every week, and that’s why he’s number two in the world and probably soon number one. Of course I want to be there too, but I’m not in a rush. We’ll see what happens.”

Van Veen’s breakout performance at the 2024 Grand Slam — where he produced the second-highest tournament average in the event’s history — proved to be a defining moment.

“Yeah, 100%,” he reflected. “Before that tournament, I wasn’t practising well and wasn’t too confident. But I played some great games in the group, had the highest group-stage average ever, and that gave me a real confidence boost.

I was told it was my first win at a Sky Sports event, which I didn’t even realise! That made me believe I could do it on the big stage. It really gave 2025 a kickstart.”

The next few weeks could be crucial for Van Veen’s season — and potentially for his place in next year’s Premier League lineup.

“These are the months where the most prize money is earned for the rankings, so it’s the right time to be in form — and luckily, I am,” he said. “Winning the European Championship gave me a massive boost. I’ve got tough draws at the Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals, and playing Bo [Greaves] in the World Youth Final will be difficult too. But I’m feeling good and confident in my game.”

Van Veen also praised compatriot Wessel Nijman, who joins him in a Grand Slam group for the second straight year. “Everyone knows how talented Wessel is — he’s so good,” Van Veen said. “On TV, he hasn’t yet shown the bottle you need to be top 16 or top 10, but he’s got the ability. You saw it at the European Championship when he missed match darts against Michael van Gerwen. If one of those goes in and he gets on a run, he’ll be a real force. Maybe the Grand Slam will be the tournament where he shows that. If he does, he’ll be a very dangerous beast.”

Van Veen’s combination of humour, humility and confidence makes it easy to see why fans and pundits alike view him as a future superstar. For now, though, he’s not getting carried away.

“I’m just enjoying my darts at the moment,” he said with a grin. “Whatever happens next, happens.”