Phil Taylor warns top darts players for Michael van Gerwen: “No pressure — he’ll be tough to beat."

With the PDC World Darts Championship set to commence shortly, Phil Taylor is looking at the event with excitement and intrigue. In an interview with Online Darts, he named his predicted finalists while also stating that the big players clash too often, with the 'magic' fading from these appetising matchups.

The darting world is set to be immersed in fierce competition, with one lucky player set to leave North London with a staggering £1 million. The tension and pressure will be as high as it ever has been, with Taylor set to watch it all play out in his home.

"Yeah, I do. I mean, the World Championship… I’ve enjoyed the darts all year, to be honest, with all the fresh faces and everything," Taylor began. "Plus, there’s a nice rivalry — you’ve got the two Lukes. It’s a bit like me and Barney [van Barneveld] at the time, or me and Dennis [Priestley]. You need that rivalry, and I’m enjoying it. And some of the professionals now are clinging on by their fingertips, so that’s going to be interesting to see in this World Championship. There’ll be a lot of tears, a lot of arguments backstage, I think, but it’s interesting. When I watch it — I mean, I’ve got a big television — but when I sit here and watch it, I can tell what’s going through their minds. I know when they’re under pressure at certain times. Darts has been my life anyway, so it’s been great, and I’m really looking forward to the Worlds this time — more than ever, to be honest."

Taylor had shrugged off any pressure that the top two players could be feeling. "I think Luke Humphries is just building himself up nice and steady. He seems relaxed," Taylor said. "Luke Littler is that chilled he could fall asleep on his feet. He’s a lovely kid — I love him to bits — but he’s so relaxed, and he’s going to be dangerous. Whether he retains it? I’ve tipped that he will. If I’m honest, it’ll be one of the Lukes that wins it — Luke Humphries or Luke Littler. It’ll be interesting."

The 16-time World champion admitted that the spotlight not being on him was a nice feeling for a change. "I was in Finland last week with them. Where I used to be the main man, now you’re not — you’ve passed the sword on. It’s nice because you get left alone more; the pressure isn’t on you to perform anymore."

Watching the two Luke's play has even motivated Taylor to get back to the board. "Even though my sponsor Gary Plummer set me up because I said I’m going to have a bit of practise — watching them over the weekend, I thought, 'I’d love to have a throw now.' So I told Bob: order me some darts and a board. I’m going to practise again."

Taylor continued to heap the praise on the world number one. "Amazing — absolutely amazing. He reminds me of Coventry City at the minute — flying," he stated. "Every time he goes a leg or two down, he kicks in. He’s got that extra gear — that’s what I had. Any player playing him needs to be consistent. At the minute, Luke Humphries can match him, and Josh Rock can match him — but they’ve got to keep that pressure going."

Inevitably, Littler will have a dip in form, but 'The Power' has brushed this concern off. "I think he’ll be fine. He’s enjoying himself. He works a lot, but he’s not killing himself on the board. Whatever he’s doing, he’s doing right. He’s not money-motivated — he’s only 18. Once he has a wife and family, he’ll have to be motivated by money, but right now he’s with his parents and having a good life."

Despite becoming world champion and number one in 2024, it seems that all the headlines were focused on Littler coming out of Alexandra Palace. As a 16-year-old, he became an overnight sensation, launching darts into a new stratosphere of popularity. From them, the duo have continued to battle. Humphries has won a number of major titles, but it seems that it has been down played due to the achievements of Littler.

"Humphries is such a nice person — too nice, if that makes sense," Taylor acknowledged. "He needs that little bit of aggression. You can see it in his face, but he doesn’t come across aggressive. He and his wife Kayleigh are lovely. But to be a multiple world champion, you sometimes need a naughty streak."

On whether he could be a multiple world champion, Taylor said: "100% — he’s after it. He’s focused now. Even in the practise room, he’s serious. He’s getting ready."

It seems like ages since Michael van Gerwen has gone to Alexandra Palace not firmly in the favourites camp. With attention drawn to other in from players, the 'Green Machine' has been overlooked by many due to his poor and inconsistent form on the oche. Despite this, Taylor is not ruling out the three-time world champion of a run in the World Championship.

"I think he’s enjoying it. He’s had personal problems, but watching him at the weekend, he’s cracking jokes — back to being a bit of a Jack the Lad," Taylor said. "He’ll be a force. If people take their eye off him, he’ll relax. No pressure — he’ll be tough to beat."

Other former world champions returning include Gary Anderson, who was the last player to defend his world title. However, he is not the same player he was back in 2016. "I think we’ve seen the best of him," Taylor ruefully confessed. "His age is creeping up, his eyesight isn’t the same. He can still win it, but it’ll be difficult."

Another Scot, Peter Wright, has had his fair share of struggles on the oche. While there has been moments of brilliance, it is normally marred by distinctively average performances which has seen him drop down the pecking order. While the form may have dissolved, the belief is still there to win a third world title, something Taylor is a fan of. "If your mind isn’t right, you won’t win. He believes he can win it, and that makes me smile. We’ll see next week," he said.

"It’s great. Look at TV — when there’s drama, the viewing figures go up," Taylor stated. He had been in a few in his time at the pinnacle of darts, from Eric Bristow to Raymond van Barneveld. These were special matches which brought in a number of fans to watch. However, the 65-year-old admitted that they should not be held every week.

"You need rivalries — but not every week, or it loses impact," he continued. "Me vs Raymond used to be huge, but when we played weekly in the Premier League it lost a bit of magic."

The headline going into the World Championship this year is the fact that the winner will receive a whopping £1 million. The tally has doubled from £500,000 claimed by Littler last year, and has got many players motivated to bring their best game to the Palace.

"Imagine throwing for a million quid. When I played it was £500,000. Barry always said he wanted it to be a million — he’s done it. Wouldn’t surprise me if he boosts it to £10 million," Taylor joked.

With this on offer, the question remains on who will be taking it home with them. From 128 players to choose from, Taylor was always going to lean towards Littler and Humphries, with Josh Rock another player thrown into the hat.

"I think it’s a toss-up between a few: Josh Rock, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, and Michael (van Gerwen). Peter Wright says he’s going to win it, but it’ll be tough. My prediction? Maybe the two Lukes in the final, or Josh," he concluded.