"Nice weather outside, isn’t it?": Gary Anderson continues to deflect potential Premier League return amid Ally Pally run

Gary Anderson once again demonstrated his enduring class on the biggest stage in darts, defeating long-time rival Michael van Gerwen to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship.

Despite the magnitude of the occasion, Anderson admitted the contest never truly ignited in the way many of their past encounters have. “Tonight was one of those games where I just never felt comfortable up there,” Anderson said. “We usually bounce off each other. There were bits where we did, if I’d go 180, he’d back it in but in between there were some not-so-good darts. It just didn’t feel like it kicked off.”

Even so, victory over van Gerwen on the World Championship stage still carried extra significance for the two-time champion. “I think the last time he beat me on this stage was to win my third world title,” Anderson recalled. “I was in my third final in a row. It’s been a while.”

Both players struggled for fluency, but Anderson’s timing on the doubles proved decisive. “My scoring was terrible tonight, but my doubling was right at the right time,” he admitted. “Michael missed a lot of doubles, and I think that’s what helped me.”

Looking ahead to the quarter-finals, Anderson was quick to praise his next opponent, Justin Hood, describing him as one of the game’s most underrated performers. “Everyone goes, ‘Who’s Justin Hood?’ Trust me, the boy is a cracking, cracking dart player,” he said. “Lovely lad, always smiling, not got a bad word to say about anything. He just enjoys life.”

Despite now being just three wins away from a third world title, Anderson refused to get carried away. “I’m not starting to believe,” he insisted. “I’ve got to get the next game past first. If I get to the final, I’ve got a chance. If I don’t get there, then I’ve had a good run.”

With the depth of talent on the modern tour, Anderson said even surviving the early rounds is an achievement. “Getting past the first round nowadays is tough,” he said. “The standard of players now is through the roof. It’s phenomenal. To get into the last eight, I’m quite happy with that.”

The match itself remained unpredictable to the very end. “Even the last leg, when Michael missed darts at doubles, I was thinking, ‘What the hell’s going on here?’” Anderson said. “But we all have days like that.”

His respect for van Gerwen remains unwavering, having known him since the Dutchman was a teenager. “I’ve known Michael since he was probably 14,” Anderson said. “When he won his first TV tournament in Dublin, the Grand Prix, he went on a rollercoaster ride for the next 10 or 12 years and was unstoppable.”

Away from the oche, Anderson revealed he will be heading straight back to his fishing lakes once his tournament ends. “When I finish here, I’m straight back,” he said. “I’ll spend a nice night in London for New Year’s night, then it’s back to the lakes.”

At 55, Anderson continues to defy age and expectation, though he remains modest about the level of work he puts in compared to younger players. “The effort and time I put into darts compared to these boys is not even close,” he admitted. “For what I put in, I do all right. I’m quite happy with how I play now and again.”

One of his biggest motivations now is his son, Tai, who has begun to make his own way in the sport. “He tells me I was rubbish the other night,” Anderson laughed. “But he’s right into darts now. I try to tell him it’s going to be hard. You’ve got to take losses before you can take wins.”

Anderson also addressed the pressure Tai faces carrying the Anderson name. “He’s going to get grief,” he said. “There’s always some donut on Twitter saying something. But he just loves playing darts. I’ll teach him not to listen to the nonsense.”

Despite admitting struggles to replicate his floor form on television over the past 18 months, Anderson said the World Championship continues to bring out something extra. “I don’t know what it is,” he said. “It’s the biggest tournament in the world. We spend all year trying to get here. Look where darts has become — a million-pound first prize.”

Reflecting on his past nerves, Anderson explained how different the feeling was against van Gerwen. “I used to get really ill before matches, especially in the Premier League,” he revealed. “There were buckets I had to fill before walking on stage. Tonight wasn’t nerve-wise, it just didn’t feel right.”

Asked about a potential return to the Premier League should he lift the trophy, Anderson gave a typically wry response. “Nice weather outside, isn’t it?” he smiled. “It’s lovely. The sunshine was out today.”

The walk-on itself remains a challenge for the Scot. “That’s always been my biggest downfall,” he admitted. “That’s when the nerves really kick in. I’d rather just come straight onto the stage and get on with it.”

Statistically, Anderson has been among the tournament’s standout performers, hitting 40 maximums so far, though he stressed where matches are really won. “The 180s don’t win you games,” he said. “The doubles at the end of the game win matches. Look at your double percentage, that’s what wins games.”

Next up is Gian van Veen, a player who grew up idolising Anderson, something the Scot admits makes him feel his age. “It probably makes it more dangerous,” he joked. “It makes me feel really old. But it’s great seeing these young kids come through and now they’re some of the best players in the world.”

While the next generation continues to close in, Anderson remains confident they won’t have it all their own way. “It’s an honour,” he said. “But they’re going to have a very hard time doing it. They’re not going to get it easy.”