“Let them talk. I really don’t care at all” – Van Gerwen doesn’t care about criticism after going on night out in Dublin

Michael van Gerwen has defiantly dismissed criticism of his decision to go on a night out at an Irish pub with Premier League rival Luke Humphries following last Thursday’s Dublin fixture — insisting he will not be told how to spend his time between events.

The story emerged after former Dutch pro Vincent van der Voort raised eyebrows on the Darts Draait Door Podcast over Van Gerwen’s choice to hit the bars in Dublin with the reigning Premier League champion following Night Seven at the 3Arena. Rather than switching immediately into preparation mode ahead of the Belgian Darts Open weekend in Wieze, the pair socialised together in the Irish capital — only to meet again on the oche in Belgium just two days later, with Humphries crushing Van Gerwen 7-2 with a stunning 105.96 average in Sunday’s semi-finals.

Van der Voort did not hold back in his assessment of the timing. “But is it wise? He’s building, it’s a very important year and he’s saying that everywhere. And then you go out,” he told the podcast. “Personally, I don’t think it’s very smart, but it’s also not for me. I’d rather go out with my friends than with all those darters. They’re colleagues for a reason.”

The former pro acknowledged that Van Gerwen had performed well in Dublin before the night out — reaching the semi-finals where he lost to Luke Littler — and was careful not to go too far. “It’s not like Van Gerwen can never go out, right. But he reached the semi-finals and played well, so you can’t really say anything.”

Nevertheless, he felt the socialising had left its mark. “Because of that he’s wasting so much energy that it was gone in the semi-final in Wieze,” Van der Voort added.

Van Gerwen’s response to the criticism was emphatic: “Let them talk. I really don’t care at all.”

It is the kind of defiant dismissal that has characterised the three-time world champion throughout a career built on self-belief, and it carries extra weight given that Thursday night’s Premier League Night Eight in Berlin served as an immediate opportunity for a riposte on the oche. Van Gerwen reached his first Premier League final since Night Two, beating Luke Humphries 6-3 in the quarter-finals before defeating Josh Rock in the semis — only to ultimately fall short to Littler in the final, with the world number one landing two successive 170 checkouts to win 6-4.

Van der Voort’s wider prognosis on Van Gerwen’s season remains cautiously optimistic despite the concerns. “His form is definitely coming, but it’s hard work for him. If we carry on like this he’ll be at a really good level in the summer,” he said. “His absolute top form isn’t there yet, but he is working towards it. It’s the details that could make it easier.”

Those details matter considerably in the current Premier League standings. Van Gerwen’s run to the Berlin final earned him three points and lifted him into the top four for the first time this season. Van der Voort had flagged the Berlin night as critical before a dart was thrown: “That’s a very important match, because with a defeat the gap could already become a bit too big. This one has to be very important for him and he must focus solely on this night.”

In the event, Van Gerwen delivered enough to move into the play-off places — a significant step in a season that Van der Voort and others have identified as pivotal. Whether the Dublin night out cost him in Wieze or not, the Dutchman will care far more about where he stands in the table when the Premier League roadshow rolls into Manchester next Thursday for Night Nine.

And on that count, at least, Thursday’s showing gave him genuine reason for encouragement.