Phil Taylor has never been able to accept that Michael van Gerwen has taken over the status of best darts player in the world from him. That says Mighty Mike in an interview with Dartsnieuws.

Taylor has already made some special statements about his Dutch rival. For example, the 59-year-old Englishman said that he expects Peter Wright to eventually take over the world-number-one position from Van Gerwen. The latter responded that Taylor only makes such statements to remain in the publicity.

That was subsequently denied by The Power, who stated that Van Gerwen just misses him. ''I don’t think Michael will ever get me out of his head. If you asked him truthfully, he misses me. Because it’s not the same'', Taylor said.

According to Van Gerwen this is not the case and he thinks that Taylor is trying to turn the situation around. "If you look at it honestly, I hardly ever say anything about Phil Taylor and he always does about me," he said to Dutch website Dartsnieuws. However, the world number one has no problem with that.

"He has to do what he wants. I think it pinches that he is no longer active. Phil can no longer show his qualities because he has simply become too old. That is unfortunate, but that's the way things go in life.''

The 31-year-old Dutchman suspects that Taylor will continue to make such statements because he cannot accept that Van Gerwen has taken over from him. "That's why I think he so often involves me in his story. I like that and I like to hear it. It means I have done something special. I'd rather have them talk about me than not talk about me.''