MICHAEL VAN GERWEN jokes that “part-timer” Gary Anderson talks “so much c***” about possible retirement and his future in darts.
Two of the biggest names in the sport will meet in a heavyweight clash on Tuesday evening in the Last 16 of the
Michael van Gerwen joked over Gary Anderson retirement ahead of Ally Pally showdownCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen meet in the World Darts Championship last 16Credit: Getty
, 55, said during this year’s tournament that he would like to carry on playing until at least 60, so there is a chance he might face young son Tai, who is 11, on the Tour.
The Flying Scotsman is often coy about how long he wants to carry on playing darts but limits his schedule as he hates travelling and being away from family and his fishing lakes.
There is mutual respect between him and Mighty Mike, 36, and the pair memorably contested the 2017 final at , which saw the Dutchman win 7-3.
Yet the pre-match fighting talk began on Sunday as the pair qualified from the third round of the £5million tournament.
laughed: “Gary’s said so much crap in his life, so I don’t believe him anymore. He retires every year!
“To have Gary Anderson on tour is always a pleasure, because I think he’s good for darts. The way he plays. He is a phenomenal darts player. Simple. I know.”
once remarked that Anderson was a “part-time” player as he spends more time with his fishing rods than darts.
There should be “fireworks” when they meet on the final day of competitive darts for 2025.
Anderson was involved in a barnstormer of a tie against Jermaine Wattimena over the weekend, which saw him prevail 4-3.
This is exactly the type of clash that gets Van Gerwen’s juices flowing and the day that stops happening, is the time he quits.
The world No.3 continued: “I expect a lot from that game because Gary’s playing some fantastic darts and like everyone’s saying, the old Gary’s back and everyone’s really happy.
“He’s averaging 102 and 103 and I’m averaging about 99 and 100, and I’m just doing okay.
“So I think that’s a good sign for me. I’m really looking forward to playing against him.
“Because when you play Gary, there’s always room for fireworks. We always play good against each other, most of the time at least.
“There’s a lot of high-seeded players who have gone out, so I think this is one of the games to watch in the next round.
“We’ve known each other for a really long time. I think the first time I played Gary Anderson was probably 22, 23 years ago.
“So I’ve been on the circuit for quite a long time, same as Gary. I think I’m in the PDC one or two years longer than him.
“So we know exactly what we have to do to beat each other. We had so many great battles, and I hope we’re going to have another great battle in two days’ time.
“If I can’t enjoy games like this anymore, that’s the day I’m going to retire. That’s a promise.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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