Michael van Gerwen has made it clear why he won’t be having a post-match booze with Luke Littler. The two met in the last World Championship final, where 17-year-old Littler breezed to a 7-3 victory to secure his first Ally Pally crown.
Since then, Littler has turned 18 and is now legally allowed to drink alcohol. According to fellow Premier League player Nathan Aspinall, the young star has been seen enjoying the occasional pint of fruity cider with other players.
However, Van Gerwen won’t be joining him for a drink anytime soon. When asked by talkSPORT ahead of night 11 of the Premier League in Rotterdam if the reserved Littler had started to come out of his shell more, the teetotal Dutchman said: “He starts to loosen up a bit, but not in that way [by drinking].
“I think he starts to talk a little bit more, he interacts a little bit more. He is a good kid with a lot of capability. But he didn’t have a pint of cider with me because I’ve never drunk a beer in my life. It’s disgusting!”
The seven-time Premier League champion is feeling the heat as he fights to make the play-offs. While top two Littler and Luke Humphries are comfortably ahead of the pack, the race for the remaining two spots at the O2 in May is anyone’s game.
Ahead of the Rotterdam night, Van Gerwen was tied on 15 points with third-place Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall in fourth. MVG was fifth due to not having won a night. Van Gerwen said: “I need to come up with an answer quick, because the Premier League doesn’t wait for anyone. You have to move on.
“I still believe I can make the top four, 100 per cent. But you have to perform, you have to win points. That’s the only thing you can do. I’m not consistent enough. I have won absolutely nothing [over the last two years].
“Still, if you look at the rankings, I have won the most prize money after the two Lukes. From that perspective, I didn’t do too badly. But for what I’ve got in my tank, it’s underperforming, simple as that.”
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