"They are all poo-pants" - Michael van Gerwen slams rivals who shy away from pressure of being favourite

Michael van Gerwen emphasized once again Wednesday night that he is the big favourite at the World Darts Championship. Not only with his convincing victory over Richard Veenstra (4-0), but also in his interviews with the press post-match.

According to Van Gerwen, there is no doubt that only he himself is the man to beat at Alexandra Palace. ''Just ask who they want to beat. Then it will be me,'' stated the three-time world champion.

Although van Gerwen is considered one of the favourites, some of the other big names are keen to ease the pressure and dismiss the tag of favourite. That is not something you will ever see the Dutchman doing however. "They are all poo-pants," he says of the players trying to lessen the expectations around themselves. "If you'd rather go under the radar, that's pfft."

When it comes to the story of the World Championships so far however, one name stands out more than most. That of Luke Littler, the 16-year-old who is into the last 16 via sensational wins over Christian Kist, Andrew Gilding and Matt Campbell.

''In terms of talent, I think I was a little better at that age, but he really doesn't care who he plays against. That's what I admire about him,'' Van Gerwen said of Littler. ''He's going to win a lot of big tournaments in his career, that's for sure. Only: he has something at the end of his throw that I'm not a fan of."