Michael van Gerwen 'not the player he once was' says former world number one: "He’s lost that fear factor"

The inconsistent form of Michael van Gerwen over the last year has been well documented. According to former world number one Colin Lloyd, the Dutchman just simply isn't the player he once was.

Van Gerwen started off the 2025 season strongly, reaching the final of the PDC World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace. Although that ultimately ended in defeat to Luke Littler, there were plenty of positives to take away from the Ally Pally for 'Mighty Mike'. Since then though, Van Gerwen has been frustratingly inconsistent. Whilst a Euro Tour title has been a highlight and a solid if unspectacular Premier League Darts campaign so far sees 'MVG' sat in the playoff places with two nights to play, Van Gerwen’s form at the Players Championship events has been shocking.

After falling to a 6th first round exit in his nine Players Championship appearances this season PC15 earlier this week, Van Gerwen sits 96th in the Players Championship Order of Merit, very much at risk of missing the end of season showdown in Minehead.

“There are just far too many inconsistencies that have crept into his game over a period of time and unfortunately for him it’s getting a little bit more too often now," analyses former World Matchplay champion Colin Lloyd for TalkSport. “I’m going to say it like this, he’s lost that fear factor now. He’s not the dominant player he once was."

“I’m certainly not putting him down because he’s a class act and a class fella, but you’ve got the likes of Luke Littler, [Luke] Humphries, [Nathan] Aspinall, [Gerwyn] Price, people away from the Premier League at the moment, Jonny Clayton, people like that all want a piece of the action,” 'Jaws' adds.

With Lloyd himself having experienced how difficult it is to keep yourself at the top once issues start creeping in, the 51-year-old has a warning for Van Gerwen.

“It gets tougher and tougher and tougher when you’ve got so many people taking chunks out of you,” he explains. “Is it catching up with Michael a bit? I personally think it is a little bit, he’s got nothing to feel bad about, he shouldn’t feel ashamed about anything, it happens to all of us at some point or another."

“He’s been around playing since he was 16 or 17 years old, he won the Winmau World Masters at 17, he’s been on tour now 19 years and it takes a lot out of you," Lloyd concludes. “He’s achieved an awful lot in those 19 years, it sounds like I’m talking like he’s done, I’m not whatsoever, but this year in the Premier League has been a real battle for him.”