Urge to quit keeps me winning
Van Gerwen’s made a retirement plan but wants more world titles to fund it
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has revealed his darting domination is down to a shock desire to quit.
The Dutch dynamo begins the defence of his William Hill World Championship title tonight with a clash against Christian Kist.
Van Gerwen, 28, is the red-hot favourite to win a third crown after another incredible year of success.
He’s the undisputed world No.1 and has won almost £3million in prize money over the last two years.
Van Gerwen has the ability to eclipse Phil Taylor’s tally of 16 world titles in the coming years but insists it’s not what pushes him.
What drives him on is the opportunity to provide a quality life for wife Daphne, daughter Zoe and the chance to walk away from the game early and enjoy it with them instead of going around the world playing darts.
He said: “At one point I don’t want to work anymore.
“I don’t want to play darts for the rest of my life. I want to retire so I can spend time with and look after my family.
“You want the time to do your own things. That’s what everyone wants.
“Most of us have to work every day to pay our bills and make sure our families are looked after. But everyone would love to be able to just stop working and spend all day doing fun things with the family or whatever they want to do and have the finances to afford that.
“Phil has that at the moment. He is able to spend his life doing what he wishes. He earned that right by putting in all the years and the work.
“One day, I want to be like that. I want to have that choice. I want to able to wake up in the morning with my family around me and say, ‘I’m going to do this today, I’m going to go here.’
“Instead of, ‘I have to do this and I’ll have to be here for this time.’
“I want to give my daughter, my wife and my entire family a good life and I’m fortunate I am in a position where I can do that.
“The sport is offering us so much at the moment and you try to be at your best all of the time to make the most of it.
“You never know what is going to happen in the future with darts.
“Right now, everything is brilliant. It is going through the roof so you have to keep investing yourself into it and playing well.
“But the time will come when you want to be in other places. I don’t want to be constantly travelling, being away from home.
“Winning 16 world titles is just not a realistic target anymore. I know I am good enough but I don’t want to be putting another 20 years of my life into trying to get them.”
Sadly for his rivals, van Gerwen’s retirement day isn’t coming any time soon.
And he aims to add more silver to his burgeoning collection inside his plush new home in Holland.
He said: “The trophy room is a big one this time. I need a big one because I have loads of trophies to sort out.
“I like to fill it up with winners’ trophies. I’ve always said I want to win more than five world championship titles.
“We’ll see what is going to happen but first I must concentrate on this one.
“I’d like to have a third one in my cabinet. I’ve left a special space in there for it.”