Gian van Veen shares true thoughts on Luke Littler after losing World Championship final | Other | Sport

Gian van Veen made his feelings clear on Luke Littler after being thrashed by his teenage rival in the World Darts Championship final. The young Dutchman went into the match as a massive underdog and lived up to that billing as he was brushed aside in a 7-1 rout. Van Veen won the opening set but was no match for Littler for the rest of the contest as The Nuke took full control and never looked back.

He failed to win a single leg between the fourth and seventh sets and it quickly became apparent that he was only playing for pride. At one point, a cut opened up on his hand and he inadvertently left a drop of blood on the board, which was changed at the end of that set. He tried his best but was simply unable to lay a glove on Littler, who was streets ahead for the vast majority.

In his post-match interview with Sky Sports, Van Veen admitted that he was ‘disappointed’ with the manner of his defeat and paid tribute to Littler, branding him a ‘fantastic player’ and a worthy champion.

“He definitely wasn’t in the mood to give me any more chances,” said the 23-year-old. “He played phenomenal. He put me under pressure every leg, every set, and I missed too many chances today to make it a game.

“He’s a fantastic player which is why he’s world number one by a margin now. That’s why he’s back-to-back world champion.

“I would have liked to pick up the title, but I would have liked to give Luke a game and that’s what I didn’t do. I lost too many legs and I missed too many chances.

“Looking back at this tournament, I’m very proud to have got to the final. Number three in the world and the Dutch number one. I’m very proud of this achievement but also disappointed.”

Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle suggested that Van Veen was right to be disappointed, but that he shouldn’t beat himself up too much given how well Littler played.

“Gian van Veen didn’t play poorly, he just wasn’t good enough this evening,” said Mardle. “He should be disappointed. Luke Littler has proven time and time again that he can play better for longer than anyone and that’s what it is.

“31 legs were played, he won 23 of them. It was the chances he limited that he gave Van Veen. We think he will win more and more.”

Littler, meanwhile, used his victory speech to pay tribute to Anthony Joshua and his two friends who were killed in a car accident in Nigeria earlier this week.

“It feels amazing,” he began. “First of all thanks to John McDonald and John Noble, what a fantastic career they have had. In my first year Russ Bray retired, now these two legends! I’m a bit late to the party!

“I’ve been wanting to say this. Everyone knows what happened with Anthony Joshua and his guy and his team and his friends. But just like AJ said: ‘The first time was so nice, I had to do it twice!’.

“I started playing better from the second set. The first set, I wasn’t happy going into the break but I had to kick on from there.

“I said to myself: ‘Give it time, you will find it’. I started off from the left of the oche and moved over to the right. It all came to plan.

“Gian, what a tournament, he can be very happy. Every set he was there and behind me. I had to take my chances.”