Michael van Gerwen names the darts player he'd hate to lose to as Dutchman says 'he's just a bit of a weirdo'

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN revealed the "bit of a weirdo" he'd hate losing to.

The Dutch darts master would finish with a double strop if Dimitri Van den Bergh landed a shock victory.

MVG has just overtaken legend Phil Taylor as the greatest Premier League thrower ever.

But the three-time world champion was stunned 7-4 in this year's epic Ally Pally final, with Michael Smith producing a nine-dart finish.

Yet defeat against Belgian Van den Bergh would be tougher to take.

MVG, who was world No1 from 2014 to 2021, revealed the reason on on YouTube show The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.

The 34-year-old said: "Why? Because he's in my pocket.

"It's not that I don't like him, he's just a bit of a weirdo."

World No 10 VDB, 28, might be desperate to beat Van Gerwen after what happened at this year's world championships.

On a high after reaching the semi-finals for the first time, "Mighty Mike" sent him crashing down to earth with a a 6-0 thumping.

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In contrast MVG stressed he was good friends with his eventual Ally pally conqueror Smith.

He said: "Yeah, we hang around together, we know each other quite well.

"We go to meals together, we practice together, things like that."

But he added: "Of course I've got people in darts who I don't like. So I don't hang with them socially."

Smith, 32, took over as No1 on the planet when he claimed his first world crown with his vanquishing of Van Gerwen in January.

And "Bully Boy" too stressed it's nothing personal.

He said on the same internet show: "I spend more time with him than I do with my wife and kids! 

"It takes too much energy to hate someone, and you can't hater someone for being the best darts player in the world. 

"You've just go to admire it, get used to it and hopefully beat him when you can."