Gerwyn Price reveals why he could skip Premier League in shock admission before Luke Littler World Matchplay final

Gerwyn Price secured a place in the World Matchplay final with victory against Gian van Veen on Saturday night, but it was his shock comments on the Premier League that raised eyebrows.

In Saturday's opening semi-final at the Winter Gardens, Price closed out a 17-10 win over world number three Van Veen.

A convincing scoreline against the 24-year-old wasn't a true reflection of the match, though, as the 'Iceman' averaged below 100 for the third time this tournament and missed 23 of his 40 attempted darts at double.

Price will have to raise his levels significantly to stand any chance of beating Luke Littler on Sunday, with the 19-year-old continuing his incredible form against Dirk van Duijvenbode.

Littler dismantled the Dutchman 17-5 with a staggering 110 average, alongside 16 180s and a 50 per cent strike rate on the checkouts (17/34).

A constant wave of brilliance has seen 'The Nuke' sweep aside his competition throughout this tournament, and it will take something special for Price to avoid being blown away.

The 41-year-old has lost his last nine meetings against Littler, with his last victory coming at the Bahrain Darts Masters in January.

But despite recent history being stacked against him, the Welshman is confident he can match the teenager across a best-of-35-legs format.

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"I think there are a lot of players that can get to that level, but is there anyone who can do it as long as him? I think I can," Price said after his quarter-final win over Ross Smith.

“Is there anyone who can do it as long as him? I think I can, and I think there's a couple of players, but he's ruthless at the minute – these 109, 110 averages just look so easy for him."

The 2021 world champion has proven he can give Littler a competitive game, doing so in the Premier League semi-final in May when he lost 10-9, and he will need to reach that standard once more to pull off an upset.

Gerwyn Price admits he could skip the Premier League

Price became the Welsh number one after victory in the semi-final saw him climb up to fourth in the PDC Order of Merit.

But even after making a rare major final on Saturday, the darting maverick was still asked about his plans in the sport.

The seven-time major winner is known for his commitments away from darts, including buying acres of farmland and owning a fish and chip shop.

Price is also set to become a grandad at the start of next year, so when asked about whether he could miss next year's Premier League, he admitted that it is a possibility.

"Possibly that could be on the cards [missing Premier League] you never know," he told Oche180.

"My daughter's pregnant. She's due end of January, I've got other priorities, I've got things going on back home so possibly I could miss Premier League if I'm invited, but we'll see what happens."

For now, Price is focused on winning his eighth major and his first since 2022 by pulling off a shock triumph over Littler.