
Emotional Michael van Gerwen bares his soul amid divorce as darts legend feels a change deep within
Honest Michael van Gerwen insists he can make steps as he battles through difficult off-stage issues.
The Dutch darts star faces Josh Rock in the second-round of the Betfred World Matchplay on Wednesday night having started his title bid with a win over Raymond van Barneveld.
Van Gerwen didn't the heights against his countryman, but opened up afterwards on how his life has been impacted in recent times. It's known the 36-year-old is working through a split from wife Daphne, but he also revealed his father underwent surgery last week due to cancer.
Van Gerwen, who has his daughter with him in Blackpool, admitted he wasn't at his best, but explained: 'We all know where I'm coming from. It's not rocket science. I didn't play a lot of tournaments in the last few months. Now it feels like you have to start from scratch and that makes it hard for myself.
'My life is totally different. My dad had an operation last week. Of course, I'm in the middle of a divorce, but for the rest, I feel good. I feel more calm now and I think from here on, I can make steps.
'I'm going to take whatever is possible to do as well as I can. And afterwards I go on holiday. Towards September, October, I need to be fully ready. That's the way it is. When something comes, everything comes together. That's not a nice thing, but unfortunately, that's life.
'What can I expect for myself? Darts moves on and doesn't stop for anyone. Not even for me, not for Phil Taylor, for no one. Simple as that. First rounds of tournaments are always tough. Now with me having a day off, I can relax a little bit more, spend some time with my daughter because she's here with me for the first time and I really enjoy that.
'My priority changed the moment my kids were born. You can say whatever they want, it's fact and it changed people's lives, especially if you look to every sports people around the world, when they have children, things change and it's life. If you look to anyone else around the world, whatever their passion is, their job is, if you ask them what comes first, it's always their children and it's also the same with me.'
Van Gerwen knows his past achievements count for nothing as he said: 'If you want to have any warranty, you need to buy a washing machine or something, you know what I mean? It doesn't mean anything what you did in the last few years, you have to do it now.
'It's a longer project, From last May until now, a lot has been going on and not the nicest things, but it's how life goes. I put the ladder so high for myself as well in the previous years, but I can handle it, I'm a big boy and I love what I do, I love performing and when you don't play well, people can shoot at me, and when I play well, I like people to cheer for me. That's the way how darts is, simple as that.
'It's not only about practise at home. It's everything together, how you think, how you believe, how you act, the energy you have to show. The total package has to be right. You need to give yourself the time and people have to give you the time as well.
'Sometimes it's difficult because I know what I'm capable of. When I'm trying to put on the gas too much, you're going to get thrown back, so you need to make sure you take your time.
'You need to win more games on the highest level and then things will develop for myself. I know that, but I need to give myself the time.'

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Scottish Sun
14 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Celtic transfer latest as Brendan Rodgers calls for board ambition, new striker necessity and interest in Maeda grows
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IF there wasn't a sense of restlessness amongst Celtic fans in this transfer window before Thursday's heavy defeat to Ajax, then there definitely is now. And seemingly, it's not just the supporters who are beginning to feel anxious with a huge Champions League qualifier looming, it's now manager Brendan Rodgers too. 6 Maeda competes for the ball in friendly with Ajax Credit: Getty 6 Celtic captain Callum McGregor Credit: Getty 6 Ajax put five past Kasper Schmeichel Credit: Alamy His comments after the Dutch humbling in Lake Como were telling in his desire to get more quality players into the team. Rodgers said: "It depends what your ambition is. 'If your ambition is to really progress and push forward, then we need to improve the squad." Yes, it's only the Como Cup, but after the departure of almost a dozen players and prized asset Nicolas Kuhn among them, there's a feeling amongst some Celtic fans that the board are gambling with their Champions League fortunes if they don't strengthen soon. In the latest Go Ballistic Celtic Transfer Special, we dissect those comments and the message to the board Rodgers' sent, with SunSport's Craig Turnbull and David Friel. We also caught up with chief football writer Robert Grieve who is out in Lake Como following the Hoops in their pre-season warm-up games. And we started off by getting his reaction to Rodgers' comments about winger Yang after the game. 6 Yang takes the plaudits for his goal against Ajax Credit: Getty The message to the board RG: I was actually really interested in the comments that Brendan Rodgers made on Thursday about Yang. Yang started the game and did okay. We asked about him post match after there was a story circulating on social media, linking Yang with Norwich. There was a fake picture doing the rounds with Yang in a Norwich jersey. Shock scenes as Celtic and Ajax fans clash during Como Cup friendly tournament in Italy There is interest in Yang from Norwich and other clubs, but I found it very interesting that Brendan Rodgers was talking about Yang being a vital squad player as things stand. For me, it was almost a message he was sending out saying listen, 'if I don't get another winger in here, Yang is the guy who plays or who is going to get a lot of minutes'. Champions League gamble DF: If you look at the options on the wing compared to Jota (won't return until after the new year) and Kuhn, Celtic are weaker. I think everyone would admit that. It would be a huge gamble for Celtic to go into these play-offs with no reinforcements in that area. I would be amazed if that happened but as Brendan Rodgers said you need to show ambition. There's probably a view that Celtic overspent last summer right at the end, but they did get the deals done. Celtic will know they need to reinforce in that area, there has to be at least one winger that comes in before that play-off, potentially even two, because i just feel it's going to be a really tricky play-off. 6 Is the jury still out on Celtic striker Adam Idah? Credit: Alamy Idah isn't the man to lead Celtic next season RG: There still has to be some serious business done by Celtic. They absolutely need a new striker. I think that is key for them right now. That has to be key for Brendan Rodgers. I've watched the games in Portugal, the Newcastle game and in Lake Como and for all Adam Idah is a hard-working big player, has got a physicality and a presence that some other players don't have, for me, he's not going to be the player that starts the majority of games for Celtic next season, despite 20 goals last year. 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Celtic transfer business this summer Celtic transfer business IN: LB: Kieran Tierney (Arsenal), GK: Ross Doohan (Aberdeen), AMC: Benjamin Nygren (Nordsjaelland), ST: Callum Osmand (Fulham), CB: Hayato Inamura (Albirex Niigata), ST: Shin Yamada (Kawasaki Frontale) OUT: GK Scott Bain (Falkirk), LB: Greg Taylor (PAOK), Matthew Anderson (Kortjik), CB: Gustaf Lagerbielke (Braga), AMR: Nicolas Kuhn (Como), Lenny Agbaire (Rotherham), ST: Daniel Cummings (West Ham), Kwon (Nantes) Loans: CB: Maik Nawrocki (Hannover), AMR: Luis Palma (Lech Poznan), Adam Montgomery (Livingston) Celtic in limbo DF: Celtic have targets who right now might not want to fully commit until they know Celtic are 100 per cent in the Champions League. And that leads to a stand-off position because you might be able to get number two or number three on your list, who're happy to come just now if it means Celtic are Champions League or Europa League, but not your top targets. What are you better doing, taking the lesser player or gambling? It's a tricky situation. I have sympathy for any club in the situation where you might have to wait a little bit of time for your top targets but you have this huge tie coming up. But Celtic fans won't want to hear that excuse they'll be saying get the deal done if it means paying that player - who can get you to the Champions League - that little bit extra. I don't think it's as simple as that. I don't think there's an unwillingness from Celtic to spend big money, we saw that last summer with Celtic saying they broke their transfer record twice. But I think the fear is among Celtic fans - and maybe even Brendan Rodgers - is that it comes too late for the Champions League, which is such a huge priority for Celtic. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page


Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Virgil van Dijk's six-word message to Florian Wirtz that convinced star to join Liverpool
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The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
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