“Personally, if he doesn’t improve in the next few months, I think he should stop” – Vincent van der Voort sends out retirement message for Raymond van Barneveld

Vincent van der Voort is known for always calling it as he sees it and never mincing his words. The former professional, now active as a coach, analyst, and entrepreneur, still follows the modern game up close — and he spares no one. Not his protégé Michael van Gerwen, not the competition, and not the new generation either.

Van der Voort may no longer be a fixture on the biggest stage himself, but he is anything but idle. His days are packed with work in the darts world — from his own dart shop to his roles with Wimau and the ADC.

“I’m very busy with the dart shop we have. I’m working a lot for Winmau and for the ADC as well, so fun stuff. Now I’ve got an exhibition, and tomorrow I’m going to Munich with Michael,” he says in an interview with Online Darts, referring to the German Darts Grand Prix last weekend.

He has also taken on a clear role: guiding Van Gerwen through a crucial phase of his career. “He’s a different project than he was a couple of years ago,” Van der Voort says with a smile. “But I’m trying to help him get back to his best. It’s hard work.”

According to Van der Voort, there are several reasons why Van Gerwen is not yet dominating as consistently as before. Illness and personal circumstances in particular have left their mark. “I think it set him back a lot,” he explains. “It’s very difficult for him with everything in his personal life. Hopefully, for the next couple of months, nothing happens outside of darts and we can build on his form.”

Even so, he sees clear signs of recovery. “I think his throw is better than last year, and he shows in patches what he’s capable of. But now he needs to win more. He needs to win tournaments—that’s the only thing that needs to happen now.”

One of the biggest changes around Van Gerwen, Van der Voort believes, isn’t even in his game but in how opponents approach him. “The fear factor has gone,” he states. “Years ago, players thought: 'I’m playing Michael, it’s going to be difficult.' Now that’s different. He needs to build that again.”

That difference is crucial at the highest level. “It’s also harder now because he used to play against players who didn’t always play their best against him—like Luke Littler has at the moment. That psychological edge matters. But I think it’s going to get better and better.”

It’s not only Van Gerwen who occupies Van der Voort’s thoughts. He is also involved in the development of other Dutch players, such as Niels Zonneveld. “Niels is a really good player,” he says. “He’s showing better averages and improving. My son works a lot with him, and I speak with my son about it and try to help as well. For now, it’s working, so that’s good."

More broadly, Van der Voort sees a positive trend in Dutch darts. “Gian van Veen playing phenomenally, Zonneveld improving, Kevin Doets as well. Then you’ve got someone like Dirk van Duijvenbode—he’s playing really well but not getting results. His averages show he’s in a good place."

Yet something is missing. “It doesn’t feel like it because nobody is winning majors—mainly because there’s someone winning everything at the moment. We need to change that.”

Van der Voort reiterates his earlier criticism of the world’s elite, who in his view too often fall short against the absolute world number one. “You only really see it in the Premier League. Elsewhere, not so much,” he says. “In ranking tournaments, Littler still wins most of the time, and often without even playing his best."

He sees it as a clear message. “So it’s a message to the top players—they have to play their best. I saw Gerwyn Price win a Premier League night with great darts, but now he has to do that against Littler consistently.”

Strikingly, Van der Voort is actually charmed by a bit more tension and rivalry on stage — something that surfaced again during the recent Premier League clash between Gian van Veen and Luke Littler. “I liked it,” he says. “I like a bit of needle in the sport. It’s better than constant fist bumps when someone hits a good shot.”

He does note that young players still have to learn to handle pressure and emotions. “If you’re used to winning everything, you don’t like losing. He’s a winner—the best player in the world at the moment. But hopefully he has good people around him who tell him that reacting like that—especially online afterwards—isn’t the way to handle it."

Van der Voort is measured about the current Premier League Darts. “It’s quite good. I don’t like the format,” he says. “We have to be careful though—the top three are quite far ahead.”

For Van Gerwen, however, the focus lies elsewhere. “But you can see with Michael at the moment that the Premier League isn’t his top priority—ranking events are. Of course, he always tries his best, but in the back of his mind, tournaments like Munich are more important. That makes it difficult mentally.”

The real benchmark, according to Van der Voort, comes in the summer at the World Matchplay. “He has to be good there. There’s a lot of work to do, but he’s on the right path.” The reason is clear: "The rankings don’t lie. He needs to perform, especially for the back end of the season—otherwise he risks dropping out of the top 16 next year, which would be a massive shock. But the numbers don’t lie—he has to deliver.”

Looking ahead to the PDC World Cup of Darts, Van der Voort sees opportunities for the Netherlands, provided the right players are available. “Michael will always give 100%, and so will his partner. England will be favourites, but after that, the Netherlands and Wales are right up there."

Wesley Plaisier is also making an impression. “He’s won three tournaments this year—only Littler can say the same. Unbelievable. But now the question is: can he perform on the big stage? The Euro Tour is on TV, but it’s not the same. You need to go deep in major tournaments to become a star."

Finally, the subject turns to Raymond van Barneveld — a topic Van der Voort visibly wrestles with. “He’s one of the top five or six players ever,” he says. “But the last year and a half hasn’t been good.” His message is honest but tough. "Personally, if he doesn’t improve in the next few months, I think he should stop—but that’s just my opinion.”