Gary Anderson looks to overcome nerves on night seven of Premier League Darts in Rotterdam | Darts News

“I get myself so worked up with nerves now”: Gary Anderson has opened up after his Premier League Darts win in Nottingham as he looks to continue his form on Thursday in Rotterdam; every dart will be shown live on Sky Sports as eight players take part in a new format.

Michael Smith shakes hands with Gary Anderson after winning the quarter final during the quarter-final match at the 2022 Cazoo Premier League in Brighton (Pic: Steven Paston/PDC)

Gary Anderson has admitted he has started getting “very nervous” before matches, as he is hoping to keep on a run of form heading into night seven of the Premier League Darts.

The Scotsman had a tricky start to the Premier League season, going into night six in Nottingham on just two points, but he put himself back into contention as he beat Michael Smith 6-4 in the final, to move within two points of the play-off positions.

He followed this up with another solid performance on Saturday, just losing out to Damon Heta in the Players Championship five final.

Speaking to Emma Paton, Colin Lloyd and Stuart Pyke on Sky Sports’ The Darts Show podcast, Anderson opened up on the nerves he has been contending with this season and the relief he felt after winning.

He said: “It was nice to get a couple of points.

“I was thinking, I hope I don’t go the whole season on two points.”

You can listen to the rest of Gary Anderson’s interview on the Darts Show Podcast:

“It was the same as Michael Smith, he was four or five games in with no points.

“It was a struggle and the longer it goes on, the harder it gets to get out of that losing streak.

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Watch the best checkouts from Night Six of Premier League Darts action in Nottingham.

“I would have been quite happy to get two points on Thursday night so to come out with a win has been a big bonus and it has put me up a couple of spots so I am happy with that.

“I am finding myself getting very nervous now after all the years that I have played on these stages, I have been really nervous going on.

“I think the second game was easier because I had already been on and the third game against Michael (Smith) I went back to normal, throwing at my pace and it worked a treat.”

When asked what his nerves were down to, the two-time world champion admitted that his job of running four fishing lakes is getting in the way of being able to practise and that he is hoping to get back into a better routine.

“If I go back to practising, it will hopefully be like that all the time, I really don’t practise.

“If I am at home, I am out working seven days doing 13 hours a day so the darts has taken a backseat lately.

“Saturday is how I used to play all the time, so when it drops below that you look at what you can do.

“But no pressure now, I am just going to go up there and do what I can do.

“If I can carry on like that and get back in the routine and play more darts week in week out we will hopefully get back to that kind of stage more often.”

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The best of the action from Night Six of the Premier League Darts in Nottingham as Gary Anderson kick-started his campaign with a superb performance against Michael Smith in the final.

Not only is his routine a pressure for Anderson, but he admits he is still readjusting to playing in front of crowds of fans again after the pandemic.

“Those on the European Tour, they’re playing in front of them every other week, but I am just once in a blue moon now.

“Even doing exhibitions I shake like heck as I get myself so worked up with nerves now.

“I should be old enough and wise enough to not let it bother me but I must admit over the last few weeks it has been.

“It is hard playing badly when I have spent a long time playing well but even a few years ago my B game was probably still good enough to win but nowadays my B game isn’t good enough to win.”

Despite his nerves, Anderson is excited to be in action on Thursday and see the Dutch fans return at the Rotterdam Ahoy .

“The Dutch crowd are amazing and you can go to a lot of darts now and the crowd can be a bit boisterous because they are there just to party, but you find with the Dutch crowds that they are there just to watch the darts.”

He faces Joe Cullen in his opening match of night seven, with Peter Wright facing James Wade, Jonny Clayton vs Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen against Michael Smith in front of his home crowd.

All the action is live on Sky Sports on Thursday at 7pm.