'Haven't seen Michael turn up for a while now': Michael van Gerwen's 'race is run' at the top according to Colin Lloyd

Former top dart player and two-time major winner Colin Lloyd doubts out loud whether Michael van Gerwen is still among the absolute best in the world. According to Lloyd, the luster of 'Mighty Mike' seems to be slowly fading as the Dutchman is about to miss the Premier League playoffs for the second time in his career.

Van Gerwen lost in the quarterfinals to Nathan Aspinall last Thursday during the fifteenth round of play in the Premier League. Since 'The Asp' also managed to win the tournament in Aberdeen later in the evening, Van Gerwen is now four points behind in a playoff spot.

With only one round of play to go, 'Mighty Mike' is in a tricky situation. Van Gerwen must win the sixteenth and final night of play in order to participate in the play-offs of the Premier League Darts.

On the podcast talkBULL, Colin Lloyd expressed his concerns about the three-time world champion. "I think his race is run. With what he's achieved in the game, is he that motivated anymore? He says he is. He says there's plenty left it in him and that when he turns up, he's still the man to beat and one of the best players in the world. I'm sorry, but I've got to say we haven't seen Michael turn up for a while now. We've seen flashes of brilliance."

Van Gerwen, now 36, did not manage to win a single ranking major since November 2022. That is remarkable, especially considering that he won at least one such tournament every year between 2012 and 2022, with the exception of 2021.

According to Lloyd, the competitive edge and different priorities might be an issue. "Has it slipped into his head he has other priorities? He loves spending time with the missus and the kids going on holiday. Has that little bit of spark gone from Michael's game?"

Lloyd stressed that Van Gerwen still comes across as professional, but that the difference is determination. "He'll turn up and he's got all the good intentions of how a champion is. You don't turn up to make the numbers up, you turn up to win."

Although Lloyd's criticism is firm, Van Gerwen is not letting himself off the hook. During the World Darts Championship in December, he revealed that he is far from finished with the sport. "If you look at my rankings this year, I'm still in the top four or five," Van Gerwen said at the time. "Can you imagine when I play well again? I will be really dangerous."

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