‘He’s not a child’ – Michael Van Gerwen slams Luke Littler’s ‘not good’ behaviour
Michael van Gerwen has hit out at Luke Littler after the teenager turned up late to his media duties ahead of the opening night of the Premier League in Belfast
Michael van Gerwen said darts officials need to stop treating Luke Littler like a “baby” after teen darts sensations turned up late for media duties and kept rivals waiting.
The darts legend, 35, who Littler defeated to become world champion at Alexandra Palace last month, didn’t mince his words, blasting the youngster and telling him to step up and act like an adult.
The darting world‘s eyes are fixed on Belfast, where the Premier League opener will host a hotly anticipated rematch between the two rivals, following their clash in the World Darts Championship final.And the Dutchman openly criticised the teenager during his own media session, declaring it’s high time the PDC quit coddling Littler now that he’s hit 18, reports the Express.
When quizzed about Littler’s tardiness, which was said to be around 25 minutes, Van Gerwen corrected a reporter and said: “Forty five minutes late, you mean? They need to stop treating him as a baby, yeah? He’s not a baby any more. He’s 18 years old now.”
“It happens. He has to learn but he needs to learn the hard way. It’s a professional sport so you have to be responsible for your actions as well, simple as that.”“If he turns up late for an interview, I don’t really mind, but now seven other people are waiting for him. That’s not really nice, is it?”Tensions could be at an all-time high when they square off in Northern Ireland, with defending champ Littler looking to continue his dominance over Van Gerwen, who he outclassed at the Dutch Darts Masters 6-3, marking his seventh win in their last 10 encounters. All eyes will be on the oche come Thursday night.
After a surprising exit from the Winmau World Masters quarter-finals at the hands of Jonny Clayton, Littler is eager to bounce back as he faces off against Van Gerwen. Ahead of the match, Littler confessed to feeling the ‘pressure’ of defending his title, but expressed excitement for the upcoming Premier League season.“This is the only sport where the fans are always behind you,” he said, acknowledging the support and its impact. “It does add that little bit of pressure at times. I absolutely love it when there are tens of thousands in the arena and I can’t wait for the Premier League to begin this week.”He also noted the challenge ahead: “There’s a little bit of pressure there to defend the trophy, but it’s a long 16 weeks and as long as I get in the top four I go to the O2 for the semi-finals.”
