Luke Littler to be forced to practice with Van Veen before facing most hostile darts crowd yet as feud rumbles

Luke Littler and Gian van Veen are set to share the same practice area at next week’s Premier League Darts night in Rotterdam, despite ongoing tension between the two.

The pair — who met in the PDC World Championship final in January — were involved in a heated moment during their quarter-final clash in Manchester on April 2, where Littler reacted emotionally on stage and appeared to mock Van Veen during a crucial leg.

The incident sparked widespread reaction online, and the two players kept their distance when they returned to action in Brighton, training in separate practice rooms.

At most venues on the 17-week tour, players are split across two practice areas. However, at the Rotterdam Ahoy next week, there will be just one shared space — meaning both players are likely to cross paths backstage.

There is also the possibility of another on-stage meeting, with a potential semi-final clash on the cards if Littler, 19, overcomes Gerwyn Price and Van Veen gets past Luke Humphries.

Littler experienced a difficult reception from the crowd in Brighton, and could face a similarly intense atmosphere in the Netherlands, with Van Veen competing on home soil.

Despite the attention surrounding the situation, Van Veen has insisted there are no issues from his side and that he has moved on from the incident.

Elsewhere, Jonny Clayton emerged as the winner on the South Coast, edging out Michael van Gerwen 6-5 in the final.

The victory marked Clayton’s third nightly win of the campaign, lifting him to the top of the standings with 24 points and strengthening his position in the race for the play-offs at London’s O2 Arena.

Addressing talk about the practice room situation, Clayton played down any controversy.

He explained: “They’re usually in separate practice rooms when there are two available. Myself, Michael and Luke Humphries are often in one, and Gian joins us there.

“There’s nothing in it — it’s just how things work out. Gian was with us and Luke [Littler] was in the other room.

“I saw Luke heading out, which gave me a chance to regroup. It turned out to be my night, and I’ve gone top of the table for now.

“But things can change quickly — next week I could be out early and Luke could be back on top. For me, it’s all about staying in the top four.”