Michael van Gerwen has been told that his ‘race is run’ after the Dutchman’s retirement vow. The three-time world champion has endured a tricky few seasons in the sport having not won a PDC ranked televised event in over two years.
He has not won the World Championship since 2019, while his place in the next round of the 2025 Premier League is in real jeopardy. He is currently four points outside of the playoff places ahead of night 16.
He must beat Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals then go on to win the night to progress. Should Van Gerwen fail to do that, he would miss the playoffs for just the second time in his glittering career.
But former darts star Colin Lloyd believes it is a trend that the 36-year-old will not be able to reverse, with his powers having now waned. Speaking to talkSPORT, Lloyd said: “I think his race is run. With what he’s achieved in the game, is he that motivated anymore?
“He says he is. He says there’s plenty left it in him and that when he turns up, he’s still the man to beat and one of the best players in the world.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to say we haven’t seen Michael turn up for a while now. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance. Has it slipped into his head he has other priorities? He loves spending time with the missus and the kids going on holiday.”
And Lloyd has suggested that should Van Gerwen’s wait for silverware goes on, he could look at leaving darts entirely. He added: “Has that little bit of spark gone from Michael’s game?
“He’ll turn up and he’s got all the good intentions of how a champion is. You don’t turn up to make the numbers up, you turn up to win.”
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While Lloyd has long-term concerns over Van Gerwen’s darts future, the Dutchman has left supporters in no doubt. Speaking at the World Championship last year, he confirmed he still had a long contract with sponsors, while he was still targeting more titles to add to his collection.
He said: “If you look at my rankings this year, I’m still in the top four or five. Can you imagine when I play well again? I will be really dangerous!”
Van Gerwen added: “I’ve re-signed my contract with Winmau for another 10 years, so I will be on the scene for a little bit longer and I enjoy what I do. That’s the only thing that counts. If I don’t win another two or three world titles, I will be disappointed. But I know I can do it.”
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