‘He’s not a baby anymore’ – Michael van Gerwen aims digs at Luke Littler ahead of Premier League return

Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler will resume their rivalry (Picture: Getty)

Michael van Gerwen reminded Luke Littler that he is ‘not a baby anymore’ after the defending champion arrived late for media duties on the Premier League’s eve.

Littler returns to the Premier League as the tournament’s defending champion and the new world champion after his dominant performance against Van Gerwen in January’s final at Alexandra Palace.

A superb maiden year in the sport has already seen Littler ascend to World No.2 and rake in more than £1million in prize money along the way.

The 18-year-old faces Van Gerwen in the first match of his Premier League defence in Belfast on Thursday, but got under the skin of the Green Machine when he overslept and left his fellow competitors waiting on media day ahead of the tournament’s first night.

And the Dutchman, a seven-time winner of the event, was keen to remind his rival that he’s not a fresh-faced novice anymore.

‘They [the Professional Darts Coorporation] need to stop treating him as a baby. He’s not a baby anymore, he’s 18 years old,’ Van Gerwen said in his press conference.

‘It happens. He has to learn. You have to learn the hard way. It’s a professional sport so you have to be responsible for your actions, simple as that.

‘If he turns up late for an interview, I don’t really mind. But seven other people were waiting for him, that’s not really nice. But it is what it is.’

Littler laughed off Van Gerwen’s not-so-subtle dig, but said he was looking forward to writing the latest chapter of their engrossing rivalry.

‘He’s going to be up for it, he’s going to be hungry but I’m up for it as the reigning champion. Whoever wins, it will be big for us,’ he said.

Luke Littler is the defending Premier League champion (Picture: Getty)

‘This is the biggest tournament I am going to defend all year around until the Worlds. Tomorrow night is so important to get that first win against Michael.

Asked about his feelings heading into his title defence, he responded: ‘I’m feeling OK, I might feel nervous when it does come to the task tomorrow, but there are always nerves, but I’m hoping to make a fast start like I did in the final.

‘The first win last year came here in Belfast, so I have got good memories here and I want to kick on.’

Making up the rest of the eight-man tournament are Luke Humphries, Rob Cross, Stephen Bunting, Chris Dobey, Nathan Aspinall and Gerwyn Price.

And World No.1 Humphries admitted he has his eyes set on redemption after falling short in last year’s final against Litler.

‘It’s one you want to tick off, it is one of those majors you want to win because it is so prestigious,” he said.

‘It is so hard to win, it could arguably be harder than any other major because you can’t win it in one day, it takes three months.

‘It would be nice to complete the set, the Worlds, the Matchplay and this. This is the biggest one I haven’t got at the moment. It would be nice to be in the club.’

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