Michael van Gerwen laughs off Luke Littler fears with darts duo on World Championships collision course
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN vowed there is “not a chance” he is SCARED of Luke Littler.
The three-times world champ dismissed any notion that he is worried about taking on the teen sensation at the World Championship next month.
MVG and Littler, 17, are on a possible collision course to meet in the final at the Ally Pally on January 3.
But at the Championship draw in London, Van Gerwen laughed off any fear factor saying: “I’m not playing my best and he’s still not beat me more than I’ve beaten him.
“Am I scared of him? Not a chance!
“I think it’s a total combination. He’s a good player, of course he is. He has the media attention and everything goes his way at the moment, he’s in a flow.
“Luke Littler is not unbeatable. He lost first round in the World Matchplay to me, he lost in the first round in the Grand Prix.
“Then he is winning a tournament again, then [Luke] Humphries won. You have Mike De Decker winning a tournament and Richie Edhouse the European Championship. No one is unbeatable.
“Of course his standard I think is great for the game. He’s got the capability of doing it for a long time.”
Van Gerwen is, unusually, not being talked up for a fourth title this year.
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All the attention is on which Luke will walk away with the Sid Waddell Trophy.
But does that make him a dangerous opponent? He added: “Maybe, I don’t know yet.
“I think they [Humphries and Littler] deserve the credit. For me I’m not really worrying about what they do.
“I have to deal with my own situation. I have to focus myself on my own game and we are going to see what will happen at the World Championship.
“It is a different tournament. I’ve never played bad there so that’s a good thing.
“I’m more relaxed now and my darts have to do the talking. The only thing I can reply with that: work hard, practice hard and make sure I get mentally ready for the World Championship.”