Michael van Gerwen looks unrecognisable in throwback pics from when he was same age as Luke Littler, 17
As the Dutchman gets ready to compete for another world title, DARTS fans were taken aback by Michael van Gerwen’s previous appearance.
In an Ally Pally matchup on Friday, the three-time PDC champion takes on teenage wonder Luke Littler.
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The Dutchman quickly rose to prominence as the sport’s most desirable item throughout his own adolescent years.
Fans have enjoyed a trip down memory lane ahead of MVG’s matchup with Littler on January 3.
The Van Gerwen of today is quite different from the one in the old video of The Green Machine’s first appearance at the Ally Pally.
MVG is the same age as Littler in the video, with a wiry physique and a shock of auburn hair.
At the age of 13, Van Gerwen started playing darts, and within four years, he was competing against Raymond van Barneveld, one of the greatest sporting giants.
He became the youngest player to ever accomplish the feat at a televised event in 2007 when, at the age of 17, he threw a nine-darter against Barney.
And the records would keep falling.
He was inconsistent for a few years before winning his first PDC Tour title in 2012.
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Two years later, at the age of just 24, he defeated Peter Wright 7–4 in the final to win the title, making him the youngest world champion in darts ever.
He is still the youngest winner in history, but Littler might overtake him on Friday night.
After that, in 2017 and 2019, Van Gerwen won the PDC championship twice more.
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To prepare for the Littler match, he defeated Chris Dobey, Brendan Dolan, Jeffrey de Graaf, Callan Rydz, and James Hurrell.
However, Littler, who has earned more than $1 million in prize money since 2-2024, will be a very different test.
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READ MORE about the entire build-up to the extravagant Ally Pally event…
All the details:
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- Everything you need to know about the Ally Pally extravaganza
- How much prize money can be won?
- What is the format for the tournament?
- Who are the Sky Sports presenters and pundits?
- How much do players and crowd win for a nine-darter?
- Gerwyn Price’s tattoos
- The Ally Pally wasp
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- Callan Rydz laughs off fans’ mean song about hair
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- Luke Littler ‘hasn’t got many mates on the tour’
- Peter Wright ‘talks crap,’ says rival MVG
“Everyone else is more excited than I am, but I will be content if I win seven sets,” the Nuke stated.
“This is my second final; Michael has been in many.
“I know where I went wrong last year and I am sure I will fix it.”
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“I will be ecstatic if I win seven sets; it will mean the world to me. I am really excited to take the stage.
“It s the stuff of dreams, everyone wants to pick up a trophy, but you have to be at the top of your game to do it.”
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