"Right now I’m losing too often to players I shouldn’t be losing to": Gian van Veen down on confidence and doesn't feel like World Number Two in waiting

Gian van Veen begins his second appearance at the World Matchplay on Saturday, but does so from a different position than a year ago. While last season’s tournament in Blackpool kick-started an impressive second half of the year, the current world number three arrives this time with a critical eye on his own performances.

Even so, the 24-year-old Dutchman is eager to return to the iconic Winter Gardens, a venue high on his personal favourites list. “The Winter Gardens is probably my favourite place to play. After the Worlds, this is my favourite tournament,” he told AD.nl in an interview.

The historic theatre in Blackpool has long been one of the most distinctive venues on the darts calendar. With its famous chandeliers and rich history, it is a special place to play for many players, and that includes Van Veen. On his return he immediately faces a tricky opponent. Krzysztof Ratajski awaits in the first round, fresh from winning the European Darts Open in Leverkusen last weekend. Van Veen also lost to the Pole recently, giving him an immediate chance to hit back. “He beat me last weekend and he’s in top form. So it’s a good test right away.”

Although Van Veen remains firmly among the world’s elite, he realises his game in recent months has not matched the level of his strong finish to last season. Since the lost World Championship final in January, he has not consistently refound his best form. “I think everyone can see the last few months have been worse than at the end of last year. But it’s still in me.”

Van Veen’s current position of third in the world rankings does not mean, in his view, that he is performing at that level. The Dutchman is strikingly candid in his assessment and believes his current game must improve. “Right now I’m not playing like the world number three.”

The health issues he faced earlier this year no longer play any part, he says. In March, Van Veen was treated for kidney stones, but he no longer sees that as an explanation for his inconsistent results.

“I’m fully healthy, so it has nothing to do with health problems. It’s mainly a busy schedule: playing more matches, losing more matches. That knocks your confidence. I think that’s mainly what it is.”

According to Van Veen, it is precisely the packed schedule that affects his confidence. By playing more often, the number of defeats also increases, which he believes inevitably has consequences for how he feels on the oche.

Despite his dip, a rise in the world rankings remains possible. Luke Humphries is defending £200,000 in prize money at the World Matchplay thanks to last year’s title. If the Englishman goes out early, Van Veen could move up to second on the Order of Merit.

He is barely concerned with that himself. “If Humphries doesn’t manage to defend much prize money, I can climb to number two. But that’s not how I look at it. I’m not the second-best player in the world at the moment.”

The Dutchman knows his ceiling is high enough to beat anyone, yet he feels he is currently suffering too many avoidable defeats.

“I know I can beat anyone on my day, but right now I’m losing too often to players I shouldn’t be losing to, certainly not as the world number three.”

The World Matchplay also coincides with the World Cup final, which is being played on Sunday. The organisers even took into account a possible England appearance in the final, which could have led to changes in the schedule.

Van Veen is not concerned about that. Only if the Netherlands had reached the final might he have kept an eye on the football.

“If the Netherlands had made the final, I might have watched. But with Spain against Argentina, I’ll let it pass. If I win quickly, maybe I can still catch the second half. I’m mainly happy the schedule hasn’t been changed and everything stays as it is.”

After the World Matchplay, Van Veen faces a packed international schedule. The Dutchman is now among the players invited to several World Series events in Australia and New Zealand. He also has a holiday to Greece planned.

Where August was often a quiet month for him in previous years, his diary now looks very different.

“August was normally holiday time, when everyone else was at the World Series. Now you’re suddenly one of the players who gets to go yourself. Still, it’s certainly no punishment to make those trips. I’ll try to make the most of it: a bit of a holiday and throw some darts in between.”