“The first games I played him, I was intimidated” – Gian van Veen reveals what makes Gerwyn Price so hard to handle
PDCThursday, 12 February 2026 at 10:00
In Antwerp, the second night of the Premier League Darts 2026 takes place this evening. Gian van Veen reached the final on debut last week, eventually losing 6-4 to Michael van Gerwen.
On night two, Van Veen faces Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals, a matchup that has been a recurring one over recent seasons and one where the head-to-head record heavily favours the Welshman.
“I’ll do that again tomorrow then. 6-0,” Van Veen smiles in conversation with Tungsten Tales, referencing his only previous victory over Price, which came last year in Prague. Before that breakthrough, the early meetings were one-sided.
“Especially the first couple of times, he beat me every time. And if I remember correctly, yeah, I reached above 105 every time as well. He played phenomenally in all those games.”
Early meetings and intimidation
Those matches came during the opening phase of Van Veen’s PDC career, when he was still adjusting to life on the big stage.
“Especially the first couple of games I played him, I was quite intimidated by him on stage, but the way he was doing as well.”
At the time, Van Veen was producing elite numbers but struggling to manage the wider stage dynamic, something he feels has changed significantly since. “But I think, you know, I’ve grown so much as a player.”
Gerwyn Price and Gian van Veen face off in the quarterfinals on Night Two of the Premier League Darts 2026
The roar and its impact
Asked what made facing Price different to playing other opponents, Van Veen pointed to the Welshman’s stage presence. “Definitely the roaring. You know, just he’s there on stage.”
That presence was particularly difficult to handle during Van Veen’s first season on the tour. “Especially the first couple of times I played him, I think it was in the first year of my tour card.”
While he expected what was coming, the reality proved harder to absorb in the moment.
“Every time I knew what was going to happen when I was on stage, but then when he hit the good shot or a 180, then he started roaring, and I didn’t really know what to do.”
The internal battle became a distraction. “Should I roar back? Should I do all kinds of stuff?”
That uncertainty had a clear effect on his performance. “And I think that really got me out of my game the first couple of times.”
Confidence shift after Prague
The turning point came with that first win in Prague, which altered Van Veen’s outlook when facing Price. “But now I know what it’s like to beat him. I know what it takes to beat him.”
That experience has fed directly into his mindset ahead of the Antwerp clash. “So, yeah, that gave me much more confidence going into tomorrow.”
With more experience behind him, Van Veen believes the issues that once unsettled him should no longer be a factor.
“But now I’ve grown so much as a player, so it shouldn’t be an issue anymore.”
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