VAN GERWEN WARNED OVER WORLD TOP 16 DROP

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN could crash out of the world’s top 16, according to ex-pro Vincent van der Voort.

‘Mighty Mike’ has FAILED to win a ranked major tournament since 2022 at the Players Championship Finals.

World No.4 Van Gerwen missed out on the quarter-finals in the first two PDC Premier events of the season for the first time since 2012, after early exits at the World Championship and World Masters.

Former UK Open finalist Van der Voort suggests complacency has crept into MVG’s game and the consequences of another poor year could be severe.

He told ViaPlay: “He really does know how good he has it compared to a lot of other people.

“Even he has taken it a bit for granted over the past years.

“And he has, almost unconsciously, eased off the gas a little. You’re getting the bill for that now.

“This is going to be a very important year for Michael.

“Whether we’ll see him back at the top, or whether he slowly slides away.

“If he has another year like this, he’ll drop out of the world’s top 16.

“Then you get a completely different status which doesn’t suit him.

“There aren’t many examples of people who were as good as he was, who then came back.”

The three-time world champ had success on the World Series stage this season reaching the final of the Saudi Arabia Masters and winning in Bahrain.

Van Gerwen returns to action this Thursday at the Premier League when he faces Stephen Bunting in Newcastle.

The Dutchman is a seven-time winner of the weekly invitational competition but failed to make the play-offs last campaign.

Image by Taylor Lanning.