Michael van Gerwen has previously said that he wants to stop playing darts sooner than most and that by the age of 40, he has hinted at a potential retirement.

Speaking to De Telegraaf though, he said that he is more likely to take it easy and only play whats necessary as opposed to packing the sport in all together.

"It is not to say that if I'm forty, I'm really going to quit. By then I want to slow down a bit and focus more on certain major tournaments. Many people underestimate how much I am away from home, ”said the 31-year-old.

He spoke last week reiterating this fact but regarding domination of the sport, saying he wants to be the best for another ten years: “Of course I’m going to come back with a bang. What I noticed is that I really missed playing on the highest level and that was a good sign to myself. ‘Hey, I’m still hungry to win more titles.’ I still want to be the best for another five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten years," he said to Sky Sports.