MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has issued a serious warning to his rivals as he gears up for his return to Ally Pally this Friday.

He is set to face James Hurrell in his opening match at the World Darts Championship tomorrow, entering the competition without being the predicted champion for the first time in many years.

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Although he is not seen as the likely winner of the Sid Waddell trophy this year, Van Gerwen is maintaining a hopeful outlook, suggesting he’s comfortable with being underestimated.

In an interview with De Telegraaf, he stated: “This hasn’t been my best year, but there’s still time ahead. I haven’t lost my skills, that’s for sure. But it’s not fair to say ‘everything will be fine’ at this moment.

“The situation is too unpredictable right now, and I must do everything I can to stabilize it. That doesn’t assure immediate results, but circumstances can shift rapidly.

“Just in September, I unexpectedly won the Euro Tour in Budapest. The problem is, even after a victory, things can go downhill very quickly again.”

Van Gerwen hasn’t secured a televised PDC title this year, but he believes his current form might work in his favor if others have already deemed him a non-threat.

He confidently remarked: “Let them all underestimate me; soon someone will be caught off-guard.

“They’ll think, ‘Oh, he can do that too.’ I’m eagerly anticipating that moment. Even though everyone is talking about [Luke] Humphries and [Luke] Littler—and rightly so, given their triumphs in the top tournaments this year—I think despite my less-than-stellar performance, I’ve still equaled Littler’s wins against me.”

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“When people ask whether I can win the world championship, I say ‘yes,’ but I stress that everything needs to fall into place perfectly.

“You can’t always control that aspect, but it all starts with believing in yourself.”

Luke Littler jokes ‘I could just slouch about for six years’ as he targets Michael van Gerwen record

“When folks assert that I could lose to anyone right now, they forget one crucial detail: I can still win against anyone as well.”

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are heading into the Worlds as the top two contenders after impressive performances throughout the year.

However, Van Gerwen has managed to defeat Littler in six out of their twelve meetings this year, and he narrowly edged out Humphries 10-9 in their most recent encounter in September, which boosts his confidence in taking on either champion at any moment.

As a three-time World Champion, MVG, despite a challenging year, will still present a formidable threat at the Palace.

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