GIAN VAN VEEN has chosen Luke Littler for his ideal five-a-side darts team and feels confident about scoring goals.
The two competitors met in the World Darts Championship final back in January.
The Dutchman is excited to see them work together in a unique darts football team.
His lineup features two Dutch and three English players, including a towering 6ft 6in goalkeeper and the enthusiastic Manchester United and England fan Littler, along with another World Cup champion.
As he prepares for the US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden in New York, Van Veen shared his picks with SunSport.
The world No. 3 commented, “I’ll select Wessel Nijman as the goalkeeper because his height should give us an advantage.
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“For defenders, I will choose Luke Humphries – his energy is outstanding – and I’ll include Nathan Aspinall as well.
“In midfield, I’ve observed Luke Littler making some solid strikes, so he’s likely to fit in there.
“And I’ll take on the striker role, which was my position in my younger days.”
At just 24, Van Veen has been following his favorite Dutch national team during the World Cup, joining the iconic Oranje fan march at Euro 2024.
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However, now that both he and his team missed the opportunity to become world champions, would he rather win the individual PDC title or see his nation lift the prestigious football trophy?
Van Veen responded, “For myself, definitely, without question. As an athlete, my ambition is to win the World Championship title.
“I was so close this year, and I hope the Netherlands makes a strong showing this time too; who knows, they might secure it in the end.
“It’s bound to be a challenging journey. After our first match, I was thrilled with a 5-1 victory against Sweden, leading me to think, ‘Alright, we’re on the right path this tournament.’
“The game against Tunisia is just a formality now; we’re already through, so let’s win that and top the group, then it’ll be tough against likely Morocco or Brazil.
“But as long as we achieve that win, I’ll be content.
“Based on what I’ve seen so far, I think France will claim the trophy this year.”
Currently in North America, the Dutchman can’t attend any matches but shared, “I’m a huge football fan, or soccer as it’s called here. I’ve been watching nearly every game.
“As you can see, the Dutch supporters march with enthusiasm behind the bus, swaying back and forth. The fans are amazing. I was part of that march during the Euros in Germany two years ago.
“That experience was incredible, and it’s fantastic that our small nation is so prominently represented on the global stage.”
