Nijman eyes up "dream" Premier League place

RED-HOT Wessel Nijman doesn’t believe the Luke Littler dominance will last forever.

The classy Dutchman has been one of the most in-form players in the world with eight titles already won this year.

Nijman, 26, has now got his sights on the Premier League and winning a major TV title - and even a crack at the all-conquering Littler.

On potentially facing The Nuke later this year, he told the Darts Draait Door podcast: “Yeah, why not? I think if I were to play like that for a whole year, then it doesn’t really make much difference. The fact is that you want to avoid the two Lukes (Littler and Humphries) for as long as possible. I think everyone does.”

But Nijman knows that even the biggest periods of dominance don't last indefinitely.

He added: “A few years back we also thought Michael (Van Gerwen) would never drop off. And you can see that’s happening now too.”

Nijman is tipped to become one of Littler’s biggest threats in the coming months after his sensational first half of the year.

He added: “I didn’t think or hope beforehand that my first half-year would yield so many titles and that I’d also get into pretty good form. So yes, I’m very happy with it.”

On the possibility of the Premier League, he added: “I think that’s still quite a way off.

“I believe the Premier League places won’t be allocated until the second half of the year. I’d need to put in a few more good results if I really want to make it onto that shortlist.

“It’s not really a goal, but you could see it more as a dream. That you want to work towards it, but that it doesn’t necessarily have to happen.”

Nijman missed out by 14-12 in the World Matchplay to Gian Van Veen, a match brought forward after Cameron Menzies fell ill in his clash with Ross Smith.

He added: “That whole lead-up to the match was pretty weird anyway. Because Menzies basically dropped out. So we actually had to head over there again an hour in advance. We were just warming up and watched it unfold.

“I asked straight away: what does this mean for us? At that moment, which is understandable, you don’t get a very clear answer, because they don’t know yet either.

“But from the moment I knew I had to go downstairs and that I would end up on the stage, there were only ten minutes.

“Then you have much less build-up towards a match like that and less awareness of the match.

“You always make peace with it more easily if you lose when it’s a good match. If you really squander bucketloads of chances, you obviously accept it far less readily than when you play a genuinely good game.

“I’m generally someone who comes to terms with a defeat fairly quickly, mind you, but that was one of my biggest disappointments on a stage match.”

“It would be great to break through at a TV tournament at some point. To a semi-final, a final spot, maybe win one. But everything has to fall into place.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.