Van Gerwen warned his darts career is 'slowly fading away' as hunger fears grow

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has been warned his darts career is “slowly fading away” unless he finds his old hunger again.

The world No7 crashed out of the World Matchplay in the second round after losing 14-12 to compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode at the Winter Gardens.

Van Gerwen, 36, has not won a ranked major title since the 2022 Players Championship Finals and could drop outside the world’s top 20 later this year.

Former pro and close friend Vincent Van der Voort fears Mighty Mike lacks the intensity and aggression that defined his peak years.

He told the Darts Draait Door Podcast: “You could see it from the moment he walked on.

“In the past, he'd come onto the stage completely pumped full of adrenaline. Aggressive.

“You felt like he was ready to destroy someone. He was like a wrecking ball. This time he didn’t have that.

“Now he shakes hands, has a laugh with Dirk about a dart that fell on the floor, has a little chat.

“Then you already know it's going to be a flat start.

“It’s all starting to look like a tea party. These days they’re hugging before the match and chatting away.

“But you just want to see a battle, right?

“If you're full of adrenaline, nervous and desperate to perform, you're not standing there laughing, joking and messing around.

“You're there to do your job. I missed that completely.”

The former UK Open finalist believes Van Duijvenbode was the deserved winner because he showed the greater desire throughout the contest.

He added: “It's about the overall picture. You don't see a player standing there thinking, ‘I'm going to win this no matter what.’

“Dirk had that. He really wanted it. He did everything to win, and I think he deserved the victory.”

Van der Voort insists Van Gerwen can still be one of the best in the world but has struggled to produce his top level often enough on the oche.

He continued: “Even now, what he can still do purely on talent is admirable because everyone else is constantly trying to improve, practising and working hard.

“He can still compete. But he doesn't win often enough anymore. He's not consistent enough and he comes up short in close matches.

“He's a good friend. Whether he's world No50 or No150, I'd still help him.

“At the moment it's more about damage limitation than genuinely helping someone improve.

“It's the same story every time now. It's entirely up to him. The dart is in his hands.

“He has to decide what he wants and where he goes from here.

“It's all down to him now, and he'll have to show how badly he still wants it.

“He's still very young and has a great career ahead of him.

“The way things are going now, though, it feels like it's slowly fading away, and that's a real shame.”

The Dutch Destroyer believes the next chapter of Van Gerwen’s career will hinge on whether he can find the fire that once drove him to the top of the game.

He said: “Everything has to improve, but only he can make that happen.

“We'll see how badly he wants to get back to the top, because only he can provide those answers.

“He shouldn't even be thinking about quarter-finals at the moment.

“His level simply has to improve consistently.

“I do believe he wants to win. I think he does his best.

“But I don't see that hunger anymore, not even during the match itself. Otherwise you don't walk onto the stage the way he does.”

Van der Voort revealed Van Gerwen was devastated after the defeat but believes the bigger issue comes before he reaches the stage.

He explained: “Oh, he was absolutely gutted. He was genuinely upset and really disappointed.

“But it's about everything that comes before the match.

“In the past, absolutely everything revolved around getting the result. That's no longer the case.”

Van der Voort believes Van Gerwen’s recent comments about prioritising winning over performance do not match his personality.

He said: “Neither does saying, ‘I don't care about playing well, I only care about winning.’

“That's more like James Wade. It doesn't suit Michael either.

“It didn’t matter whether he played well or badly. In the past it simply always had to be good.

“It’s up to him now to respond at some point.”

Words: Aaron Nijjar

Image: Taylor Lanning