Luke Littler openly acknowledges that he has not spoken to Dutch rival Gian van Veen since their heated exchange in Manchester, but he insists the episode is now behind them. The confrontation took place during a Premier League Darts fixture three weeks ago, when the back‑to‑back world champion was accused of celebrating a missed match dart by his opponent.
Their interaction ended with a chilly handshake, and both players have since used social media to reinforce their own versions of what transpired. Littler told Sky Sports that he has not yet made any effort to reconcile with van Veen. "No, we haven't spoken. I'm not the sort of person who goes up to someone and tries to smooth things over," he said.
He added that he suspects the Dutchman might be waiting for him to make the first move, but that he prefers to let others approach him first, even in practice settings. "People will talk to me first if they want to," he explained, emphasizing his reluctance to initiate a conversation. When asked whether the dispute could be settled on the oche, Littler replied that the competition itself would be the ultimate judge.
"We can obviously settle it on the darts board, but backstage everything has been normal and our preparation unchanged," he said. He believes both competitors have moved on mentally: "I think he's forgotten about it.
I've forgotten about it. I went on holiday the day after and just focused on my game." The fallout from the Manchester incident has lingered for Littler, who says fans have turned against him in several venues. In Rotterdam last week he faced a hostile reception, and a similar chilly atmosphere greeted him in Liverpool on Thursday.
Despite the boos, Littler silenced the crowd with a dominant performance, dispatching Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton on his way to a night‑long victory. There has been plenty of debate about Littler's conduct in Manchester, yet he maintains that he has no regrets. "No, I don't regret anything," he affirmed. "I have my opinion, he has his, and we’re both entitled to them.
On stage we both keep playing, but off stage we haven't spoken yet. It's been a tough couple of weeks, but I just had to get on with it.
Winning tonight gives me confidence and reminds me why I love darts." Success in Liverpool, a city where he rarely receives a warm welcome due to his outspoken support for Manchester United and his occasional jibes at Anfield, will mean a great deal to Littler. He noted that the reception in Liverpool, while unfriendly, was nothing compared to the hostility he encountered in van Veen's home turf of Rotterdam. "If it gets worse than that, then something's wrong," he said. "Rotterdam was far worse than tonight.
I even proved last week that I can win games under those circumstances. There was no anxiety; I just expected the worst, but it wasn't worse than Rotterdam. That's the toughest I've experienced." Looking ahead, Littler is eager for a possible rematch should both players advance to the finals, which could be held in Aberdeen, Leeds or Birmingham.
He remains focused on his own game, stating that the only thing that matters now is delivering strong performances on the oche. "Just playing darts, that's what I've done now.
Winning this night gives me confidence," he concluded. Fans can follow the ongoing Premier League Darts action each Thursday until the finals in May on Sky Sports, with live streaming available through the NOW platform.
The competition continues to deliver drama both on and off the stage, and the rivalry between Littler and van Veen adds an extra layer of intrigue as the season progresses.