"We saw what happened to Bunting and Heta": Paul Nicholson warns Van Veen about burnout playing too much amid Premier League workload

According to former pro darter Paul Nicholson, there is a real risk of burnout for Gian van Veen during his very first Premier League campaign.

‘The Giant’ made an instant impression on debut by reaching the final on Night 1 in Newcastle. There, however, he ultimately had to concede to Michael van Gerwen.

Van Veen, currently the global world number three, hitting the podium straight away on debut underlined why expectations around the young Dutchman are already sky-high. At the same time, Nicholson warns that managing his schedule will be crucial in the long and gruelling Premier League season.

Speaking to Betway, Nicholson said: “It’ll be interesting to see how Van Veen does, but if anybody’s going to fit in like a round peg in a round hole, it’s going to be that young man.

“He’s so eloquent, he’s so smart and so well prepared. The only question mark I have for is will he take his foot off the gas at the right times during this campaign?

According to Nicholson, that’s where the biggest risk lies. “Will he take that European tour event off? Will he have a two-week break just to make sure he’s ready for the second half of the season?

The Englishman points to recent examples. “Because if he plays too much, we saw what happened to Stephen Bunting last year and Damon Heta. They just played a little bit too much and they left themselves with nothing in the tank."

The 23-year-old made his mark straight away on his first night of the invitational. In his opening match he impressively dispatched world champion Luke Littler, then proved too strong for ‘The Ferret’ Jonny Clayton in the semi-final. In the final his compatriot Michael van Gerwen edged him out, denying a dream debut for the reigning European Championship title holder.

This Thursday, Van Veen returns for Night 2 of the Premier League Darts. The tournament descends on Antwerp, Belgium, for the first time in its history. ‘The Giant’ faces Welshman Gerwyn Price in his opening match there.