Premier League Darts: Michael van Gerwen relishing Rotterdam homecoming on Night 12 | Darts News

Premier League leader Michael van Gerwen will have plenty of support from Dutch darts fans on Night 12 at Rotterdam Ahoy; Van Gerwen leads the table by two points from Gerwyn Price; watch Night 12 live on Sky Sports Action and Main Event from 7pm on Thursday

Michael van Gerwen is looking forward to playing in front of Dutch fans on Premier League Night 12

Michael van Gerwen admits he will feel the weight of expectation on him when the Cazoo Premier League returns to the Netherlands on Thursday night.

However, the reigning champion is relishing playing in front of his compatriots as well when he takes to the stage in front of what is expected to be an 11,000 sell-out crowd at Rotterdam Ahoy.

Van Gerwen is the sole Dutch player competing in the Premier League this year and while he acknowledges that brings heightened expectation on Night 12, the 33-year-old will be boosted by the presence of so many home fans.

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Michael van Gerwen came so close to hitting a nine-darter in Brighton during his semi-final match against Gerwyn Price in the semi-final on Night 11

“It’s always nice to play in front of your home crowd and always gives extra pressure, but also extra joy,” Van Gerwen said.

“It’s a privilege to be the only one [Dutch player] who can perform on this big stage here, and it’s still sold out.

“I’m glad they are coming, and I look forward to it. It’s going to be a tough night; everyone knows the Premier League is hard…but I’m looking forward to it and I hope I can produce some good darts again.”

Another player who is expecting significant support in Rotterdam is Belgium’s Dimitri Van den Bergh, who appeared at the same venue as a contender in 2019.

Dimitri Van den Bergh played in Rotterdam as a Premier League contender in 2019

On that occasion, Van den Bergh drew 6-6 with James Wade and hopes to have plenty of backing again on what almost feels like a homecoming for him too.

“It feels like I’m coming home because I’ve already played here, and what an experience that was,” Van den Bergh said.

“I had a whole lot of support and a great time up there, so the plan is to continue that great time and have a couple of wins under my belt.”

Van den Bergh’s opening match of the night sees him taking on 2017 Premier League runner-up Peter Wright in a battle of the bottom two in this year’s tournament.

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Gerwyn Price recorded his highest Premier League average on the way to winning Night 11 in Brighton, his fourth victory of the season

The winner of that match faces either Nathan Aspinall or Van Gerwen in the semi-finals, with the Dutchman aiming for his first night win since Night 6 in Liverpool.

The six-time champion holds a two-point lead over Night 11 victor Gerwyn Price at the top of the standings and while it would mean a lot to triumph in front of the Dutch fans, he is taking nothing for granted.

“That would be absolutely fantastic, but you need to keep both feet on the ground and it’s going to be tough from Round 1,” Van Gerwen said. “I feel good, I feel comfortable, and it’s going to be an amazing night.

“I’m not playing really badly, I’m quite steady, and that’s what you want to do. You want to do the right thing for yourself, and for the rest, it doesn’t really matter.

“You’ve just got to make sure that you keep sharp and the Premier League isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.”