Luke Littler has openly acknowledged that he has not had any conversation with Dutch rival Gian van Veen since their heated encounter in Manchester, but he maintains that the incident has been put behind them. The two competitors were involved in a contentious on‑stage exchange three weeks ago during a Premier League Darts match, when the reigning back‑to‑back world champion was accused of celebrating a missed match dart by his opponent.
The tension culminated in a chilly handshake at the conclusion of the match and sparked a flurry of social‑media comments from both players, each defending their own perspective. Littler told reporters that he has not yet cleared the air with van Veen.
"No, we haven't spoken. I'm not the type of person who goes up to him and starts a conversation," he said. He added that perhaps van Veen is waiting for him to make the first move, but Littler prefers to let others approach him first, even in practice sessions. "I'm not the kind of guy who chats away," he explained, emphasizing his more reserved nature.
Despite the lingering silence, Littler expressed optimism about a possible rematch. If both dartsmen continue to progress, they could meet again in one of the upcoming finals in Aberdeen, Leeds or Birmingham. "We can obviously settle it on the darts board," Littler noted, "but backstage everything has been normal and the preparation routine hasn't changed.
I think he's forgotten about it, I've forgotten about it. I moved on the day after, went on holiday." His comments suggest that, while the dispute still lingers off‑stage, both competitors are focused on their game when the lights are on. The aftermath of the Manchester incident has not been easy for Littler.
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. Nevertheless, Littler managed to silence the dissenters with a stellar performance, defeating Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton en route to a night‑time victory.
The win helped him regain confidence and demonstrate that he can thrive even under pressure. When asked whether he regretted his actions in Manchester, Littler was unequivocal: "No, I don't regret anything.
Obviously I have my opinion, he's got his opinion, so we're both entitled to it. I think we've both moved on with our game on stage, but off stage, obviously we haven't spoken.
It has been a tough couple of weeks, but I just had to get on with it. Just playing darts, that's what I've done now, winning this night gives me confidence." His statement underscores a pragmatic approach: focus on performance rather than personal grievances. Littler's relationship with the city of Liverpool has always been fraught, largely because he openly supports Manchester United and frequently teases the fortunes of Liverpool's football club on social media. He admitted that the reception in Liverpool was uncomfortable, but he claimed it was nothing compared to the hostility he experienced in van Veen's home base of Rotterdam.
"If it gets worse than that, then something's wrong," he said. "Rotterdam was far worse than tonight.
I even proved to people 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 worst I've experienced." Looking ahead, the Premier League Darts season will continue with weekly Thursday fixtures leading up to the finals in May. Fans can follow the action on Sky Sports or stream matches via NOW. While the rivalry between Littler and van Veen adds an extra narrative thread, both players have indicated that they will let their darts do the talking when they eventually meet again on the oche.
The upcoming weeks will reveal whether the tension eases further or if another on‑stage showdown will reignite the debate. Regardless, Littler remains determined to focus on his game, absorb the lessons from recent challenges, and aim for another title as the league progresses toward its climax.