"You get the sense he’s on his own" - Concerns for Van Barneveld heading into World Darts Championships

In the build-up to the PDC World Darts Championship, Vincent van der Voort has voiced both concern and expectation regarding two leading Dutch names. Speaking on the Darts Draait Door podcast, the former professional reflected on Raymond van Barneveld’s early exit at the Players Championship Finals and set clear demands for Danny Noppert ahead of the World Championship.

Van der Voort was with his long-time colleague in Minehead shortly after Van Barneveld’s first-round elimination and saw first-hand how heavily the defeat weighed on him. “It was tough to watch again,” he admitted. “But it turned out he was ill. Then, of course, everything becomes that much harder. At the same time, he was tinkering with his equipment again. I find that difficult to see, because it makes him look a bit desperate.”

According to Van der Voort, Van Barneveld is desperately searching for stability yet remains difficult to guide. “Maybe something is happening behind the scenes already, but at some point you have to accept certain things and commit to them. You might want to help someone, but if they don’t want to be helped… or if he always ends up following his own plan, then that’s tough.”

He believes a lack of trust in those around him is holding the five-time world champion back. “You need someone you trust blindly. Without that, it’s not going to work. The fact he was unwell is a mitigating factor, but it doesn’t take away from the bigger picture. You get the sense he’s on his own, and for a player of his stature, that’s hard. Yes, he was ill this time, so that explains some of it—but there are plenty of times he’s not ill and it’s the same story. He needs to look in the mirror and ask himself, ‘What do I want?’ Something has to change.”

Van der Voort did not point to a clear solution but stressed that a new approach is essential. “He needs to work with someone, and that means sitting down and talking. Beyond that, I don’t know.” Presenter Damian Vlottes added that a strong showing at the World Championship could flip the narrative entirely. “That would be great to see.” Van Barneveld begins his campaign against Switzerland’s Stefan Bellmont, with a potential second-round clash against Damon Heta.

While uncertainty surrounds Van Barneveld, Van der Voort was far more forthright when discussing Danny Noppert. The world number six has enjoyed an impressive year, but his recent World Championship record remains underwhelming. “Noppert is world number six—that’s incredibly good. He has to go into this World Championship with the same aggression he’s shown this season. He needs to prove that if someone wants to beat him, they’ll have to play exceptionally well. That’s his mission.”

Vlottes agreed, noting that Noppert’s ranking now carries genuine expectations. Van der Voort was even more direct: “From the world number six, that’s simply what you expect. The task is clear: he’s never gone past the third round. If he wants to break into the Premier League, he has to deliver at the Worlds. The form is there. If he adds that aggression while keeping the rest of his game, I rate his chances.”

With Premier League selection heavily influenced by World Championship performance, Van der Voort believes that weighting is entirely justified. “There’s so much media attention, and it’s unlike any other tournament. If you can perform there, people expect you can do it in the Premier League too. It makes sense that it counts so much. Noppert is mentally strong—absolutely not a choker, not afraid to win. Everything is in his favour.”