Luke Littler has openly admitted that, to date, he has not had any conversation with Dutch darts star Gian van Veen following their heated exchange in Manchester. Despite the lingering tension, Littler insists that the incident has been put behind them and that the focus now lies on future competition. The confrontation occurred during a Premier League Darts match three weeks ago, when the reigning back‑to‑back world champion was accused by Littler of celebrating prematurely after van Veen missed a crucial match dart. The dispute quickly spilled over into a brief on‑stage argument, which was captured by cameras and later dissected on social media platforms.
Both players have since stuck to their own accounts of what transpired, each defending their perspective. When asked about any reconciliation, Littler said, "No, we haven't spoken.
I'm not the sort of person who goes up to someone and tries to smooth things over on my own. Maybe he's waiting for me to make the first move, but I prefer to let things happen naturally.
Even in practice rooms, people usually approach me first if they want to talk." He added that he does not consider himself a chatterbox and would rather let the darts themselves settle any score. "We can obviously settle it on the darts board, but backstage it's been normal – the preparation hasn't changed at all," he explained. "I think he's forgotten about it, and I've moved on. I left Manchester the next day, went on holiday, and haven't given it another thought." The fallout from the Manchester incident has not been limited to the two players.
Littler reports that he has felt the after‑effects in the form of hostile reactions from fans. In Rotterdam, where van Veen enjoys a home‑crowd advantage, Littler faced a particularly chilly reception last week.
He encountered a similar unwelcoming atmosphere in Liverpool on Thursday, although he managed to quiet the dissenting voices by delivering a dominant performance that saw him defeat Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton en route to a night‑time victory. Despite the criticism, Littler remains unapologetic about his actions in Manchester.
"No, I don't regret anything," he said. "Everyone has their own opinion, and I'm entitled to mine just as he is entitled to his. On stage we both continue to play our game, but off stage we haven't spoken yet. It's been a tough couple of weeks, but I had to move on.
Winning tonight gives me confidence and reminds me why I love darts." Littler's connection to the city of Liverpool is complicated. As a lifelong Manchester United supporter, he has often teased the fortunes of Liverpool's football club on social media, which has not endeared him to the local crowd.
However, he notes that the hostility he experienced in Liverpool was nothing compared to the atmosphere he faced in van Veen's hometown of Rotterdam. "Rotterdam was far worse than Liverpool," Littler remarked. "I proved last week that I can still win under those conditions. I went in expecting the worst, but it wasn't any worse than what I faced in Rotterdam – that was the toughest environment I've experienced." Looking ahead, Littler is eager for a possible rematch with van Veen, should both players advance to the Premier League finals in Aberdeen, Leeds or Birmingham.
He says the prospect of settling the score on the oche is appealing, but he also stresses that any resolution will come through performance rather than conversation. "If it gets any worse than that, then something's wrong," he added, referring to the negative reactions he has endured. "The best way to answer any doubts is to keep playing well and let the results speak for themselves." The Premier League Darts season continues to build momentum, with matches broadcast every Thursday and the climax scheduled for May. Fans can follow the drama, watch the matches live on Sky Sports, and stream the action through NOW.
As the competition intensifies, both Littler and van Veen will aim to focus on their game, leaving personal disagreements off the board and letting their darts do the talking.