‘I feel more calm' – Michael van Gerwen reveals major personal change for first time that inspired World Matchplay win
MIC DROP 'I feel more calm' – Michael van Gerwen reveals major personal change for first time that inspired World Matchplay win
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has revealed that the presence of his daughter played a huge role in his World Matchplay win over Raymond van Barneveld.
The Dutch maestro was made to work against his compatriot in a 10-6 victory at the Winter Gardens.
Advertisement
4
Michael van Gerwen was made to work for his win at the World Matchplay against Raymond van Barneveld
Credit: Getty
4
He's revealed that the presence of daughter Zoe, 7, made a huge difference to his game
Credit: Instagram @mvg180
4
Van Gerwen has endured a tough time in his personal life, splitting from his wife in May
Credit: Instagram @mvg180
4
The pair had been together since 2008
Credit: Instagram @mvg180
And it was welcome relief after a torrid time in his personal life.
Last week, Van Gerwen's father was sadly diagnosed with cancer.
And in May, he announced his split from wife Daphne before pulling out of upcoming tournaments.
The pair had been together since 2008 before getting married in 2014, the same year as his first World Championship win.
Advertisement
READ MORE IN DARTS
BLOW HIS DOUBLE TOP Price and Gurney in heated clash on stage at World Matchplay Darts
But against Van Barneveld, Van Gerwen had a special guest watching on.
Daughter Zoe, 7, is the eldest of his two children with Daphne — the other being son Mike, 5.
And she was present as Van Gerwen booked his place in the next stage.
Speaking after the game, MvG declared that Zoe had bought a 'calmness' to his game.
Advertisement
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
And being able to spend quality time with her between matches was also the perfect antidote to his personal issues.
Van Gerwen said: 'We have a day off tomorrow. I can relax a little bit more and spend some time with my daughter.
Michael van Gerwen makes major change as he returns to darts for first time since announcing divorce
'She is here for the first time and I really enjoy that.
Advertisement
'My dad had an operation, he had cancer last week, that's why I'm playing today.
'I'm in the middle of a divorce. I brought my daughter to give a bit to myself.
'But for the rest, I feel good. I feel more calm now and think from here on I can make steps.
'Of course the first rounds are always tough. But I hope we see a more relaxed version of me, that would be nice and fair to me.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
8 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Keira Walsh wants more protection for players from online abuse
Carter announced she would be stepping away from the platforms for the remainder of the tournament ahead of England's dramatic 2-1 semi-final comeback against Italy to set up Sunday's final showdown with Spain. Walsh came off social media after the 2019 World Cup, when reading negative comments contributed to the midfielder genuinely entertaining the thought of quitting football. 'I think it's just a personal preference,' said Walsh, who did return to the networks, but has – bar a single post – been inactive on X since 2020. Lately, her Instagram account has solely been comprised of tagged posts by the Lionesses, or her respective current and former clubs Chelsea and Barcelona. 'I haven't had social media for the best part of four or five months, and I feel a lot better most of the time,' said Walsh. 'I don't really know what's going on outside of camp. I think at the time, with what's going on, probably more people have come off it, but I can only speak for myself. 'I think obviously the girls are smart enough to know what they should and shouldn't be looking at, and I'm sure they'll know what is going to put them in a good headspace and what isn't. 'Do I think there's enough protection on social media? No, I don't, but I'm not going to be able to change that. That's not up to me, but I think just in general, people can be more protected on social media, and I think we can do more to stop that from happening.' England defender Lucy Bronze has warned companies that athletes can 'thrive' without their services, but the reality remains that in the women's game – where new Arsenal recruit Olivia Smith just became the first £1 million player – brand-building on social media can be a lucrative tool for players earning nowhere near their male equivalents. Carter's case has now been referred to UK police, and, in a statement released Sunday, Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham vowed his organisation will 'ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice'. One feature of the Online Safety Act, which received royal assent in October 2023, places a greater onus on social media companies to protect users from illegal content. Companies can be fined up to £18 million, or 10 per cent of their global revenue, if they fail to comply with their duties, but Ofcom – which is implementing the act in a phased approach – has only been able to enforce against the Illegal Harms Codes since March 17, 2025. 'I think we would have liked it to have been stronger in some cases,' said Bullingham. 'There's a real risk that if we're not firm in how the act is implemented, it won't be as strong as we hope. 'I think now it's incumbent on Ofcom to make sure they really do bring those responsible for running social media platforms to account and I haven't seen huge progress in the last couple of years. We would like to see it now.' Foreign social media companies operating within the UK are still beholden to the act, but prosecuting individuals living outside the country responsible for abusive content – which is not uncommon – remains a huge hinderance to justice. Bullingham added: 'If you look at the prosecution, obviously we can only work with the UK police, generally. There are, when we work with some of the companies that support us, there are occasions where you can prosecute outside the UK, but it's really hard and generally really expensive.' The FA chief said his organisation has engaged in productive conversations with FIFA and UEFA, encouraging them to put pressure on social media companies to prevent harmful content from appearing in the first place. He added: 'But where there are occasions, make sure we can prosecute. And we do think that people who perpetrate these hate crimes should be prosecuted wherever they are in the world.'
The Herald Scotland
8 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Keira Walsh wants more protection for players from online abuse
Walsh came off social media after the 2019 World Cup, when reading negative comments contributed to the midfielder genuinely entertaining the thought of quitting football. Jess Carter has distanced herself from social media (Nick Potts/PA) 'I think it's just a personal preference,' said Walsh, who did return to the networks, but has – bar a single post – been inactive on X since 2020. Lately, her Instagram account has solely been comprised of tagged posts by the Lionesses, or her respective current and former clubs Chelsea and Barcelona. 'I haven't had social media for the best part of four or five months, and I feel a lot better most of the time,' said Walsh. 'I don't really know what's going on outside of camp. I think at the time, with what's going on, probably more people have come off it, but I can only speak for myself. 'I think obviously the girls are smart enough to know what they should and shouldn't be looking at, and I'm sure they'll know what is going to put them in a good headspace and what isn't. 'Do I think there's enough protection on social media? No, I don't, but I'm not going to be able to change that. That's not up to me, but I think just in general, people can be more protected on social media, and I think we can do more to stop that from happening.' England defender Lucy Bronze has warned companies that athletes can 'thrive' without their services, but the reality remains that in the women's game – where new Arsenal recruit Olivia Smith just became the first £1 million player – brand-building on social media can be a lucrative tool for players earning nowhere near their male equivalents. Carter's case has now been referred to UK police, and, in a statement released Sunday, Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham vowed his organisation will 'ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice'. Mark Bullingham has vowed to prosecute those dishing out abuse on social media (Nick Potts/PA) One feature of the Online Safety Act, which received royal assent in October 2023, places a greater onus on social media companies to protect users from illegal content. Companies can be fined up to £18 million, or 10 per cent of their global revenue, if they fail to comply with their duties, but Ofcom – which is implementing the act in a phased approach – has only been able to enforce against the Illegal Harms Codes since March 17, 2025. 'I think we would have liked it to have been stronger in some cases,' said Bullingham. 'There's a real risk that if we're not firm in how the act is implemented, it won't be as strong as we hope. 'I think now it's incumbent on Ofcom to make sure they really do bring those responsible for running social media platforms to account and I haven't seen huge progress in the last couple of years. We would like to see it now.' Foreign social media companies operating within the UK are still beholden to the act, but prosecuting individuals living outside the country responsible for abusive content – which is not uncommon – remains a huge hinderance to justice. Bullingham added: 'If you look at the prosecution, obviously we can only work with the UK police, generally. There are, when we work with some of the companies that support us, there are occasions where you can prosecute outside the UK, but it's really hard and generally really expensive.' The FA chief said his organisation has engaged in productive conversations with FIFA and UEFA, encouraging them to put pressure on social media companies to prevent harmful content from appearing in the first place. He added: 'But where there are occasions, make sure we can prosecute. And we do think that people who perpetrate these hate crimes should be prosecuted wherever they are in the world.'
Scottish Sun
8 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Darts star Luke Littler tries out brand new sport and fans reckon they know where he learned his technique
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DARTS star Luke Littler turned his hand to GOLF during the middle of the World Matchplay. But his dismal technique saw him likened to hapless movie character Happy Gilmore by giggling fans. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Luke Littler swapped darts for golf but struggled to get his technique right Credit: X 4 The ace took a break ahead of his World Matchplay quarter-final tonight Credit: Getty Littler took a break from the oche after booking his place in the World Matchplay quarters with a stunning comeback against Jermaine Wattimena. The Nuke was 7-2 down before sealing a 13-11 victory to set up a clash against Andrew Gilding on Friday night. And to take his mind off the occasion, Littler decided to swap a darts board for a golf course. However, it was hardly The Open's Portrush course — with Littler instead opting for a game of crazy golf. READ MORE IN DARTS HARD TO WATCH Sky host can't keep straight face at darts ace Gilding's answer to question The teen donned his best shorts-and-hoodie combo as he joined Sky Sports for a day on the whimsical green. But Littler showed why he should be sticking to darts with a dismal performance. Hilarious video footage showed him struggling to get past one hole, which involved hitting the ball through a miniature cabin. At one stage, Littler even managed to knock his ball off the green and into some paving stones. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS But just like his win over Wattimena, the world champion stayed strong and eventually bounced back by potting the hole successfully. However, some fans felt Littler's approach was less Scottie Scheffler and more Happy Gilmore. Luke Littler stuns World Matchplay Darts with one of his greatest ever comebacks against Jermaine Wattimena 4 Littler was compared to movie character Happy Gilmore Credit: Netflix 4 The hockey star-turned-golfer famously had no technique and relied on a big drive Credit: Scott Yamano/Netflix The fictional character, played by Adam Sandler in 1996 and in a sequel released today, is a hockey player-turned-golfer who has little technique and gets by on his gigantic drive. One fan laughed: 'Littler holding a putter like he's Happy f*****g Gilmore.' Another declared: 'Never seen a putter before.' One noted: 'Mr Bean was better.' Another added: 'Golf isn't his game.'
