Michael van Gerwen's close friend has revealed the worrying thing he's noticed about the three-time world champion amid his shock Premier League Darts elimination.
The Dutchman lost 6-3 to Nathan Aspinall in the night 16 quarter-finals on Wednesday to seal his exit at the league stage.
Van Gerwen will not be present on Finals Night next week for the first time in five years, having been knocked out in the first round on six occasions over the 16 weeks.
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Speaking after their match, Aspinall said that his opponent 'didn't look himself again tonight', and added: "Even on that stage, he was giving up."
A forced withdrawal on week nine may also have cost the Dutchman, as he suffered a freak neck injury while putting on his darts shirt before the night began.
He now hasn't won a major tournament since the World Series of Darts back in October 2023.
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Van Gerwen has still achieved moderate success on the Pro Tour this season, with the 36-year-old currently ranked eighth despite missing a number of tournaments.
Away from the oche, Van Gerwen spends time with close friend and compatriot Vincent van der Voort, who played on the PDC circuit for 17 years before losing his tour card at the beginning of 2024.
Speaking to AD's Tim Hartmann, Van der Voort explained where he believes is the main factor behind Van Gerwen's poor form in majors - and the one thing that he has noticed about his game that he needs to fix.
He explained: "I am really convinced that there is still so much beauty in the barrel, but then you have to go for it completely and not halfway. I don't see someone who wants to win at all costs.
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"Littler and Humphries are really not better, but at the moment they are. He [MVG] should not accept that. The only question is - how much does he want to get back to his old level?
"In that respect, this might be a good thing, right? In that he realises, 'Okay, I can't do it if I only give 80 or 85 per cent'. Then he notices, 'Hey, I don't really belong anymore'.
"Something like that has to happen in his brain. Because we can all tell him what to do, he has to believe in it."
Topics: Darts
Ryan Smart