"Most people in Holland will still see MvG as number one" - But is Gian van Veen fast becoming the best current Dutch player?

Gian van Veen struggled to put the feeling into words after his 4-1 win over Charlie Manby. The 23-year-old Dutchman is into the quarter-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship for the first time in his career, and he did it in convincing fashion.

“Unbelievable,” van Veen said afterwards. “I’m really happy with this win, of course.”

The striking thing is that van Veen still felt he had more to give, despite averaging close to 99 with a strong doubles return and a steady flow of 180s. He was clear that he did not feel he had hit top gear. “I didn’t play as well as I can today, but it still feels really good to outscore him,” he said.

Asked what had improved compared to his previous match, van Veen pointed first to the way his darts were sitting in the board. “I spoke after that match about the way my darts were landing in the board, and today that was much better,” he explained. “That shows in how many 180s I could hit.”

That, in turn, fed into a broader sense that he is increasingly at home on the Alexandra Palace stage. “Yeah, 100 percent,” he said when asked about his comfort levels. “The first game is always going to be nervous.”

Even now, he feels there is another level available. “Even without feeling like I’d hit my A game yet, to still win with a 98 average and a good double percentage, I’m really pleased,” he said.

Those who have followed van Veen’s rise will know he is not often emotional on stage, which is why his reaction to the 132 checkout stood out. Van Veen admitted the match was not as smooth as he wanted, and that he had been frustrated at a key moment earlier on.“I felt comfortable, but not as comfortable as I was hoping,” he said. “I couldn’t really shake him off.”

He then pinpointed the miss that had been bothering him. “In the second set, I missed three darts at double 10 to go 2-1 up and break his throw, and I wasn’t happy with that when I walked off stage,” he said.

The 132 finish changed the feel of the contest for him. “The 132 finish to go 2-1 up in sets gave me a massive confidence boost,” van Veen said. “To hit that finish against ‘Champagne Charlie’ was nice, and I needed to let something out because I was feeling a bit nervous at that point.”

With the tournament resuming after the break, van Veen accepted that this is the stage where belief starts to build. “Yeah, I think so,” he said. “Before Christmas people talked about winning the title, but I said it was only the last 32. Now you’re in the quarter-finals, maybe you start dreaming a bit.”

He also stressed the scale of what still remains. “There are still so many great players left, so even reaching the final will be very difficult,” he said.

Despite his results this season and his run in north London, van Veen is still reluctant to describe himself as one of the sport’s elite. “As long as I’m not world champion or world number one, I won’t call myself elite,” he said.

He framed it as a reflection of how quickly his year has moved. “At the start of this year I was ranked 28 or 29, so it’s gone very quickly,” van Veen added. “If I make the World Championship final, then I’ll be happy to say I’m elite. For now, I’ll keep my feet on the ground and say I’m a decent player.”

That same self-critique has been present even with his tournament averages hovering around the ton mark. “Even so, averaging 100 for the tournament, I can’t really complain,” he said.

With van Veen now the only Dutch player left in the last eight, he acknowledged what it would mean, while making it clear he is not getting carried away by ranking talk.

When asked about the idea of becoming the top ranked Dutch player, he did not hide how strange it sounds. “Surreal,” van Veen said. “Growing up, Michael was always Dutch number one.”

He also made the point that rankings do not always change public perception. “Even if I overtake him in the rankings, I think most people in Holland will still see Michael as number one,” he said.

As for whether he feels ready for everything that comes with a world title, van Veen did not hesitate. “Yeah, I do,” he said. “As world champion it would be even more, but I think I’d be ready for it.”

His immediate plan is simple: recover, reset, and be ready for 1 January. “Rest,” van Veen said. “I’ll call my family to wish them a happy new year, then take the day off and be ready for the quarter-final on 1 January.”