VIDEO: Dimitri van den Bergh credits lucky coin and Glen Durrant in remarkable post-match interview at Grand Slam of Darts 2024

Dimitri Van den Bergh has convincingly qualified for the last sixteen of the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts. In a winner takes all tie, the 30-year-old Belgian defeated Keane Barry 5-1 in his final group game to progress to the knockout stages, where he will now take on the in-form Jermaine Wattimena.

As it turned out, Van den Bergh had a special lucky charm in his pocket as he revealed in a remarkable post-match interview with Sky Sports. "My manager said to me, if you find a penny, pick up because it'll give you luck," began a beaming Van den Bergh in conversation with reporter Polly James on stage after his victory. "I needed to win, so I put it in the back pocket of my pants and I won! Oh my God!" The UK Open champion then roared to the crowd.

Van den Bergh has had an up and down sesson this year. Aside from his UK Open win, the Belgian hasn't offered up much. Could this performance be a sign of a return to form? "What I've shown there... I don't want to be arrogant but that's the way I know that I can play,'' he assesses himself. "It's just been about giving myself that extra push."

Van den Bergh also noted how he received support from former Lakeside and Premier League Darts champion, Glen Durrant before the tournament. "He had a few words for me like: 'Dimi come on! When you do your interviews, stay positive.' Because if I do speak negative it's going to go into my subconscious. So Duzza thank you, shout out to you! I've always loved the man and yeah, come one! I'm in the freaking knockouts."

Van den Bergh has become known as someone with memorable post-match interviews over the years and before this latest one, it seems that even Sky Sports' Polly James was a little worried about what the Belgian would say. "I was nervous when I asked him…. What’s this story you’ve got then? Lol," the Welsh presenter commented on X afterwards.