Michael van Gerwen is 'not scared' of Luke Littler and insists the teenage prodigy is not unbeatable ahead of the World Championship

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Fri December 13, 2024 · 3w ago

Michael van Gerwen doesn't feel that Luke Littler has an 'unbeatable' aura sounding him ahead of the PDC World Darts Championship.

The 17-year-old sensation is favourite to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy following his astonishing maiden season as a professional and break MVG's record as the youngest player ever to do so.

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Littler, who began his ascent to stardom by finishing runner-up to Luke Humphries on debut back in January, heads to the Alexandra Palace as just the fourth different player in history after Phil Taylor, van Gerwen and Peter Wright to win 10 PDC titles in a single year and that tally includes both the prestigious Premier League in May and the Grand Slam of Darts last month.

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The Nuke almost made it back-to-back major titles at the Players Championship Finals only to lose to Humphries but despite that defeat he's averaged over 100 in each of his last 13 matches and producing formidable levels of performance that have led many pundits to claim he's the only player with 'fear factor' right now.

'LITTLER IS NOT UNBEATABLE'

Van Gerwen understands why some hold his opinion about Littler but is keen to stress that he's certainly not scared and feels anyone in this current darting landscape can come out on top if they play to their true potential.

Luke Littler is second fav to become the first darts player ever to win Sports Personality of the Year but Luke Humphries isn't regarded a contender despite all his achievements.

Humphries says he's been invited to SPOTY but feels he should be in the running too.... pic.twitter.com/8V36SoFfy7
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) November 27, 2024

After all, van Gerwen has a head-to-head record of 6-6 with Littler which includes a first-round victory at the World Matchplay in July and this in a season where he has failed to win a major title.

MVG, who won the first of his three world titles at the age of 24, said: "Of course he's a good player. Of course he has the media attention and everything goes his way at the moment because he's in the flow.

"But still, I'm not playing my best and he still doesn't beat me more than I beat him. You know what I mean? So that might be an answer.

"Am I scared of him? Not a chance."

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"He has so much talent and he's great for the game and makes it more interesting to watch, there's more viewers and the sport is getting bigger.

"We had that in the past with myself and before that with Phil Taylor, and before that with Bristow. That's the way darts is, it grows and goes with the flow.

"But Luke Littler is not unbeatable. He lost in the first round of the World Matchplay to me, he lost first round of the World Grand Prix (to Cross), then he's winning a tournament, then Luke Humphries is winning a tournament, then Mike de Decker wins the World Grand Prix, then Ritchie Edhouse wins the Europeans.

"No one is unbeatable. No one."

Asked whether Littler and Humphries can dominate in the same way as he and Phil Taylor managed in previous years, the Dutchman added: "I don't know, they've been doing it for... not even a year. Humphries more than a year, but Littler not even a year. We did it for 10 years.

"Littler has got the capability of doing it for a long time, but I think... when everyone's turning up, I think you're going to see more interesting games to watch."

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries on winning BBC Sports Personality of the Year!

On his own chances, MVG added: "I think my preparation is slightly different than previous years, but it is what it is.

"You have to deal with the circumstances, of course I wish I'd been playing a little bit better in the last month or so. Before that I think I had some great results at the Pro Tour and the Euro Tour, but you have to deal with the circumstances at the moment.

'I don't care about the £2million'

"At the moment there's still a lot of work to do for this World Championship, and I need to make sure I'm going to deal with that. I need to make sure I'm getting ready, because in two weeks' time the world's going to start.

"Only I have to play a bit better, but not only that, also more consistent. I think that's for me the way forward. I'm going to work on my game in the upcoming days, and I'm sure I'm going to be ready for the worlds.

"It is the toughest period of my career but it was always going to happen. Now it's about how I answer this. In Covid times I had a tough period as period and underperformed but I battled back. I have to do that again with some great darts.

"Winning matches is the best medicine for your form and that's for me to answer. From there on anything is possible. I'm not losing my talent or whatever. It's a little bit of the mental side, a little bit of luck, a little bit of belief, a little bit of everything. And if that falls on me then I'm sure everything will be good again."