Michael van Gerwen says Littler-Van Veen incident blown out of proportion: "Nothing really happened, otherwise I'd have been in the papers every week with Taylor"

Michael van Gerwen has dismissed the recent incident between Gian van Veen and Luke Littler in Manchester as overblown, insisting such moments are part and parcel of top-level darts.

Speaking ahead of his Premier League return in Rotterdam, the Dutchman made it clear he has little interest in fuelling the narrative. A lot has been made about the incident and he said it is no comparison even to ones back in his pomp with Phil Taylor that weren't reported on.

He gave a warning about the questioning saying that he wouldn't bow down to what the reporters in question speaking in his pre Rotterdam media wanted to achieve as he prepares to face off against Jonny Clayton who leads the table after a terrific return to the format.

“Listen, you all know there have been a million incidents over the years,” Van Gerwen said. “People like to make a story out of it. People love to write about things, try to make them bigger and try to get answers out of you.

“I’ve done enough interviews to know what you want to hear from me, but I’m not going to say it. Nothing really happened. Otherwise, I’d have been in the papers every week with Phil Taylor. It’s also emotion. Things like that happen.”

While the headlines may focus elsewhere, Van Gerwen’s attention is on performing in front of a home crowd that continues to demand the highest standards. “We don’t play that often in Holland on the big stage, only a few times a year,” he said. “When the fans are coming, of course there’s more pressure on your shoulders. That’s part of it.

“You want to give them something extra and do well in front of your own crowd. Most of the time you’ve got extra guests coming as well, so it all adds to it.”

Despite sharing the Rotterdam spotlight with another Dutchman in Gian van Veen this year, Van Gerwen does not believe it changes the dynamic.

“I don’t think that matters,” he said. “We had it before with myself and Raymond. It’s just part of it.”

The three-time world champion heads into Night 11 on the back of a solid week in Brighton, although he admits he could be in an even stronger position in the table.

“If I’m critical, I should have had three, four, maybe five points extra,” he said. “That’s not the case, so you need to keep battling and grafting. Every game is important. You need to make sure you’re in the top four and get to the O2, it’s as simple as that.”

That race for the play-offs is tighter than usual this season, something Van Gerwen believes adds to the spectacle. “It’s definitely good for the crowd,” he said. “Most years it’s not this close, but this year it is. There’s a lot at stake in every game.”

Van Gerwen also acknowledged the increased competition within the Premier League field, with the likes of Gian van Veen and Josh Rock making their mark.

“They both deserve it,” he said. “Of course you can debate other players being in or out, but that’s not up to me.”

He has been particularly impressed with compatriot Van Veen, who will experience his first Premier League night on home soil in Rotterdam. “He’s a fantastic player and a great guy as well,” Van Gerwen said. “He’s a credit to the sport. For him, the most important thing is to enjoy yourself. I remember my first time, you need to enjoy that moment. It’s a magical moment.”

For Van Gerwen himself, the expectations of a Dutch crowd remain as high as ever, even if he admits circumstances have changed compared to his peak years.

“They expect a lot because they know what I’m capable of. In the past I raised the bar so high for myself,” he said. “But times have changed a bit. Everything is different now. I don’t expect the same from myself as five or ten years ago, but I know what I’m capable of, and that makes it hard sometimes.”

Handling that pressure is something he admits is not always straightforward. “Of course that happens,” he said, when asked if it can feel overwhelming. “That’s the most difficult thing to handle when the pressure is really high.”

His love for the game, however, remains unchanged. “I still love what I do. I still love to perform on the stages and that’s the only thing that matters for me.”

On the oche, Van Gerwen faces a resurgent Jonny Clayton in Rotterdam, fresh from a run of strong results. “If you look at his performances in the last week, everything goes his way in the Premier League,” he said. “People are missing match darts against him, he’s on fire. Fair play to him, but I need to make sure I stop him in Holland.”

That clash comes shortly after a painful defeat to Clayton, where Van Gerwen squandered a 5–2 lead and missed multiple match darts, although he remains philosophical about the result. “If you look through my week, I think the final was probably my best game,” he said. “I didn’t do myself any justice there, but it is what it is. Don’t be too harsh on yourself, there’s still a long way to go.”

External factors, including venue conditions such as airflow in Rotterdam, are not something he is looking to overthink.

“I hope they do as much as possible to make sure it’s playable,” he said. “I think it is possible, so we’ll see what happens.”

Van Gerwen also reiterated his long-standing stance on the Premier League format, admitting it is not his preferred system but accepting it is out of his control.

He also shared his frustration as such for having the questioning constantly when it is often the narrative surrounding this format. Van Gerwen has reiterated in the past that he only cares about the rankings and not Premier League.

“I’ve said for a few years it’s not my preferred format,” he said. “But I’m not the organisation. I’m here to play darts and try to win as much as possible.

“As long as you win the title, you don’t care how you get there, but I still like to enjoy myself week after week.”

He is also firmly against expanding the competition beyond its current elite structure.

“You need to keep it for the best of the best,” he said. “If you extend it, you lose the glamour of that little group.”

As always, Van Gerwen remains aware of the shifting narratives around his form, but insists he is unfazed by outside opinion. While he admits he isn't much of a fan of the Premier League format, he hopes he is written off in general compared to the other top names as it only makes him do the talking when he proves them wrong.

He said that all he can do is make sure that he does it his way and not caring about the opinion of others when it comes down to it.

“I hope they write me off. I hope they underestimate me,” he said. “But I just need to make sure I do the talking myself.”

And when it comes to the performances of others, including Littler, his focus remains firmly inward.

“I have to do what I have to do, and what other people do is not up to me.”

Returning home to Rotterdam for a yearly visit, he is prepared as ever to put on a show and give everyone what they've paid for in front of a sea of Orange at the Ahoy.