Vincent van der Voort has expressed doubts about Michael van Gerwen's decision to visit an Irish pub with Luke Humphries late on a Thursday night, between the Premier League Darts in Dublin and the Euro Tour in Wieze. In the podcast Darts Draait Door, Van der Voort reacted to footage of the outing, stressing he doesn't want to blame his friend but wonders if the timing was wise. "But is it wise?", Van der Voort said. "He's building, it's a very important year and he's saying that everywhere. And then you go out..." He added that relaxation is part of a top athlete's life, but timing matters, noting, "Personally, I don't think it's very smart, but it's also not for me."
Van Gerwen's recent results included reaching the semi-finals in Dublin, where he was knocked out by Luke Littler, and falling in the last four in Wieze against Humphries, with whom he had gone out earlier that week. Van der Voort acknowledged Van Gerwen played well and reached semi-finals, so "you can't really say anything," but he remains uneasy. Despite the defeats, Van der Voort sees clear progress in the three-time world champion's game, believing it's a matter of time before Van Gerwen is back at his highest level. "His form is definitely coming, but it's hard work for him. If we carry on like this he'll be at a really good level in the summer," Van der Voort said, adding that Van Gerwen's absolute top form isn't there yet and details are costing him energy, as seen in the Wieze semi-final.
The focus now shifts to the next Premier League night in Berlin, where Van Gerwen faces Humphries again. Van der Voort emphasized the importance of this match in the battle for a top-four spot. "That's a very important match, because with a defeat the gap could already become a bit too big," he said. "This one has to be very important for him and he must focus solely on this night. There are no big tournaments afterwards, so this is what it's about."
