'It would be magic' - Michael van Gerwen opens up on Premier League Darts homecoming in Rotterdam

Michael van Gerwen

Home hero Michael van Gerwen will take on World Champion Luke Humphries when the 2024 Premier League roadshow rolls into Rotterdam on Thursday.

Night 12 of the darting extravaganza will see quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final played over the best of 11 legs at Rotterdam Ahoy, as Van Gerwen prepares to take centre stage in front of a sell-out Dutch crowd.

Following a stuttering run of form, the Dutch number one returned to winning ways in Birmingham last week, defeating Luke Littler in the Night 11 showpiece to reignite his Play-Off push.

Van Gerwen is now bidding to become the first player to claim five nightly wins in a single season since the current format was introduced, and he’s determined to make history on home soil.

“It’s always fantastic to play in your home country,” admitted Van Gerwen, who lifted the Dutch Darts Masters in Den Bosch back in January.

“It also gives added pressure because you want to perform, but I think after last week I’ve put myself in a good position again.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s game. I always knew that Luke [Humphries] was capable of doing what he’s doing at the moment, so fair play to him.

“I think he has done really well for himself over the last eight or nine months. He is a grafter and he works hard for what he wants to achieve, and you can only admire that.

“It would be magic if I could win here in Rotterdam. With the new [nightly] format I haven’t done too well over here yet, so I hope I change that tomorrow.”