“I didn’t play at my best, but I still beat Luke Littler” – Jan van Veen says he won’t hesitate to “get back at” the world number one as Premier League Darts heads to Antwerp in week two.
European champion Van Veen will be looking to build on his impressive debut last Thursday and, although he wasn’t at his best in Newcastle, the Dutchman departs for the North East with three points following big wins over Littler and Johnny Clayton.
His success in defeating reigning world champion Littler in the quarter-finals was key to giving the 23-year-old the confidence he needs going forward.
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Highlights of the Premier League quarter-final match between Jan van Veen and Luke Littler
“It was almost a perfect start,” Van Veen said. “When I looked at the game schedule and played Luke Littler in the first game, my goal was just to win that game, so I had a successful night.
“It happened and I won in the semi-final, but looking back at the final (against Michael van Gerwen), I wasn’t up to the standard. I want to do better, but I’m not going to complain about getting to the final on my debut.”
“The most important thing is to win the first game, especially when you’re playing for the first time. You don’t want to go three or four weeks without winning a game. Then you figure it out. I think that was the most important part.”
“Littler isn’t the kind of guy who loses five or six games in a row, because in the next game he’s already 2-0 against you!”
“I need to counter him and that’s what I did last week, so I think it will help my campaign in the coming weeks as well.
“I didn’t play in the A matches, but that helped me because I know that even if I don’t play at my best, I can still beat him. I can still win games in the Premier League. That gave me a lot of confidence.”
“We all know that in the last-11 leg we can beat each other. In the longer format, they (Littler and Luke Humphries) are the two best players in the world at the moment, but in the last-11 all eight players can play well over six legs, especially on a Premier League night.”
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Littler and Van Veen talk about new rivalry after meeting in World Championship final
Van Veen suffers cuts on his throwing hands due to his heavy grip. Famously he was bloodied at the hands of Littler when he was defeated 7-1 in the World Darts Championship final at Alexandra Palace, but the ‘giant’ also cut his own hand during the European Championship victory in Dortmund.
He said: “I’m trying to change[my grip on darts]but it’s difficult, especially when I play like I’ve been playing. It’s hard to change. If I can get to the final and win the title, even though I’m bleeding, I’ll accept it.”
Van Veen will face Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Van Veen will face Gerwyn Price in an enthralling quarter-final in Antwerp, but the Dutch star admits he has been intimidated by the ‘Iceman’, an opponent he has only beaten once in nine matches.
“I was quite intimidated by what he was doing on stage, but I think he has improved a lot as a player and I really needed that first win against him in Prague last year,” Van Veen said.
“Definitely a roar! I can see him on stage. I knew what would happen when he hit a good shot or a 180, but I didn’t really know what to do, but that shouldn’t matter anymore.”
Littler’s press conference was abruptly canceled.
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Check out five memorable moments about Littler in the Premier League
Littler was scheduled to speak to the media Wednesday afternoon, but the press conference was canceled at short notice without explanation.
The Warrington teenager boasts an exceptional record in Belgium, winning back-to-back European Tour titles with Wiese and also winning the Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp last year.
The serial world champion will aim to continue his impressive record against great rival Humphries in a repeat of the epic World Masters decider earlier this month.
“Every stage is different in my opinion,” insisted Littler, who achieved a record-breaking six wins a night in the 2025 Premier League season. “I don’t feel any pressure and I don’t need to put any pressure on myself.
“I know I lost to Gian on the first night, but I also lost to Michael van Gerwen last year (on the first night).
“We still have 15 weeks to go, so if we can get into the top four, that’s good.”
MVG: People know what I’m capable of.
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Highlights of the Premier League final between Newcastle and Michael van Gerwen vs. Van Veen
Seven-time Premier League winner Van Gerwen has made the perfect start to the 2026 season, winning the spoils every night at Newcastle, beating compatriot Van Veen.
Van Gerwen failed to win on a nightly basis throughout last year’s competition and will not be riding high heading into his quarter-final clash with Josh Locke, who is looking to open his account in Belgium.
“The Premier League is always a rollercoaster so we have to make sure we perform every week,” declared the Dutch superstar.
“We’ve been in that position before when we won three nights in a row and then played poorly, so we need to keep our focus and momentum going.
“People know what I’m capable of. I don’t need to speak out. Everyone still wants to beat me, but more importantly, I still want to beat them.
“There’s still a lot of room for improvement, so as long as we keep that in mind, anything is possible.”
Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries will defend his title and you can watch the match every Thursday on Sky Sports from February to May. Stream darts and other top sports now.
