VAN GERWEN: I ‘DESERVE’ MORE TITLES
09/12/2023 By Phil Lanning
MICHAEL van Gerwen believes he deserves to be a four or five-times World Champion.
This year’s tournament will mark the 10-year anniversary of his first Worlds success with a 7-4 victory against Peter Wright.
However, having lost to Wright and Michael Smith in the 2020 and 2023 finals, the World No.2 will hope for glory after a six-year wait.
He will face either Keane Barry or Reynaldo Rivera in round two on December 19 and said: “You want to keep that motivation going, because you need that drive to perform.
“I have probably deserved four or five titles in my opinion, but I’ve still got plenty of time.
“I try not to look back too much because it’s not going to change the past, and I’m fully focused towards this World Championship, because I need to be at my best.
“The World Championship is the World Championship.
“It’s a different format, and the top boys will come out fighting, that’s the way I see it.
“I know I am one of the favourites, and you need to perform like a favourite. It’s important to put your opponents under pressure from the beginning and that’s my goal.
“I feel relaxed, I feel comfortable, and I believe if I play my A-game, nobody else beats me.”
Van Gerwen has already enjoyed a successful 2023 campaign, with the highlight being a record-breaking seventh Premier League triumph back in May.
But early exits in the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Grand Slam mean that MVG is not overly happy with his results.
He said: “There were a few ranking events where I would have liked to do a lot better.
“I could have done a lot more, but you can only blame yourself, and I cannot get it right all the time!
“Of course I am always trying. I am always looking to improve, and now I need to make sure I am focused for the World Championship.”
Van Gerwen lifted the prestigious Sid Waddell Trophy in 2014, 2017 and 2019, and has appeared in six of the last 11 finals.
The Boxtel-born star underwent extensive pre-planned dental surgery earlier this summer, which left him sidelined from this year’s World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt.
He added: “It’s been difficult, and there is still another operation coming, so it’s not finished yet.
“That is the way things go unfortunately, but you have to accept it; it’s part of life.
“You need to deal with it and make sure you stand behind your decisions. If you go for something, you have to commit to it 100 per cent, which is also the way I play darts.”
Images by Taylor Lanning.
