Luke Littler accuses Michael van Gerwen of ‘trying to get in my head’ backstage ahead of Premier League Darts
Luke Littler Claims Michael van Gerwen Tried to Get in His Head Ahead of Premier League Darts
Luke Littler has accused Michael van Gerwen of attempting to get inside his head ahead of the 2025 Premier League Darts, revealing the mind games the Dutch star plays backstage.
As the Premier League campaign resumes tonight in Berlin, Littler aims to extend his lead at the top of the standings. The 18-year-old, known as “The Nuke,” claimed his fourth nightly win in Newcastle last week, where he defeated Stephen Bunting 6-0, before edging out Rob Cross in the final. Littler then triumphed over Luke Humphries to take the title.
In the upcoming Night Nine, Littler is set to face Chris Dobey in the quarter-finals, while Van Gerwen will meet Gerwyn Price. However, Littler has now shed light on the behind-the-scenes rivalry with Van Gerwen, who is known for trying to get into his opponents’ heads before they step on stage.
According to Littler, before each tournament, players take part in a friendly challenge, throwing darts to see who can land closest to the bullseye in order to decide who goes first. Littler claims that Van Gerwen often attempts to play mind games, trying to get into his head before their showdown.
“I travel with Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall, as we share the same management team. When we’re in the practice room with players like Michael van Gerwen or Luke Humphries, we have banter to try and get into each other’s heads,” Littler said on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
“Before every tournament, we throw for the nearest bull to decide who goes first, and every time I go over to Michael, he tries to get in my head about hitting the bullseye first—but I always hit it before him!”
Littler and Van Gerwen are no strangers to each other, having faced off in last year’s World Darts Championship final, where Littler emerged victorious to claim his first world title. They could face off again in the semi-finals of the Premier League if they both win their quarter-final matches tonight.
For now, Littler looks to keep his focus as the Premier League continues and the mind games with Van Gerwen show no signs of letting up.
