Michael van Gerwen says it is unfair that Luke Littler ‘hype’ has overshadowed Luke Humphries’ excellent year. The Dutchman insists Humphries is the best player in the world heading into the World Darts Championship.
Teenage sensation Littler rose to stardom at last year’s Alexandra Palace event. He reached the final, where he lost to Humphries, and used his form in the tournament as a springboard to enjoy an incredible amount of success across 2024.
The 17-year-old is ending his first full season in professional darts as the Premier League, Grand Slam and World Series Finals champion. Littler won a host of other titles and has dominated headlines this year.
However, Van Gerwen insists the ‘hype’ is unfair because Humphries remains the best player in the world.
Van Gerwen was asked on Dutch channel Viaplay who he thought the best player in the world is. “I think it’s Luke Humphries,” was the emphatic response.
The host pointed out that most people would argue that Littler is better, prompting him to brutally respond: “But I don’t agree with that. That’s just because there’s a Littler hype, which kind of overshadows Humphries, and that’s not really fair.”
Sitting alongside Van Gerwen was fellow Dutch star Vincent van der Voort, who agreed. The 48-year-old said: “I do think Littler’s peak might be a bit higher [than Humphries’], but Humphries is the most complete player right now.
“Littler is spectacular. When he’s in full flow, you think, ‘Wow, what am I even watching?’. But if you look at the results across the whole year, Humphries is just much more consistent.”
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