Luke Littler Finally Breaks Silence on Heated Gian van Veen Incident With His Version of Events
Luke Littler has finally given his side of the story after his explosive confrontation with Gian van Veen sparked one of the biggest talking points in Premier League Darts.
The two-time world champion has strongly rejected suggestions that he deliberately celebrated when his Dutch opponent missed a crucial match dart during their controversial quarter-final meeting in Manchester. Instead, Littler insists his actions were directed towards his girlfriend, Faith Millar, her father and the supporters inside the arena.
However, his explanation has not necessarily brought an end to the controversy. If anything, the teenager’s comments have added another interesting layer to a disagreement that exposed the growing tension between two of darts’ biggest young stars.
And while Littler believes people need to understand what happened from his perspective, not everybody is convinced that he handled the situation correctly.
What Happened Between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen?
The incident took place during Night Nine of the 2026 Premier League Darts campaign at Manchester’s AO Arena.
Littler and Van Veen were involved in a fiercely contested quarter-final, with the match reaching a dramatic deciding leg.
With the score level at 5-5, Van Veen had an opportunity to finish the contest after leaving himself on 90. The Dutchman hit the treble 20 but narrowly missed his attempt at double 15.
What happened next immediately attracted attention.
Van Veen turned around and appeared to notice Littler reacting towards the crowd. The Dutchman was visibly unhappy with what he believed was his opponent celebrating his missed opportunity.
The situation quickly became uncomfortable, with Van Veen staring towards Littler before the Englishman gestured for him to return to the oche.
Littler subsequently missed his own opportunities to finish the match, allowing Van Veen to secure a 6-5 victory.
However, the result was almost overshadowed by the confrontation that followed.
Littler made a crying gesture towards his opponent before the pair exchanged a brief and rather frosty handshake.
It was an extraordinary ending to a match that had already provided plenty of drama.
Gian van Veen Accused Littler of Being a Bad Loser
Van Veen did not hide his frustration when discussing the incident after the match.
The Dutchman believed Littler’s reaction was disrespectful, particularly because he was still trying to finish the contest.
Speaking about what happened, Van Veen said:
“I’m on 90, I miss double 15 on the inside, and then I see him celebrating towards the crowd. I don’t think that’s normal.”
He also took issue with the crying gesture made by Littler.
“He’s a fantastic darts player, but today he showed he’s not a good loser.”
Those comments immediately generated discussion among darts supporters.
There were people who agreed with Van Veen, arguing that celebrating an opponent’s missed match dart crosses an unwritten boundary of sporting respect.
Others felt the Dutchman should have concentrated on completing his checkout rather than becoming distracted by what was happening behind him.
Either way, the incident created an uncomfortable situation between two players who have increasingly become important figures in the sport.
And Littler was clearly not prepared to allow Van Veen’s version of events to become the only account of what happened.
Littler Reveals What He Claims Really Happened
Speaking to Online Darts, Littler finally explained why he reacted towards the crowd during the crucial moment.
According to the teenager, he was not celebrating Van Veen’s missed double at all.
Instead, he claims he was acknowledging his girlfriend Faith and her father.
Explaining his perspective, Littler said:
“Well, from my point of view, I’m looking up at the TV and just thinking in my head, he’s not going to miss. Even if he gets a shot at the bull, Gian’s one of the best bull hitters in the game.”
He continued:
“But then, when he came inside for double 15, I looked up, had a drink of my water, and did a little fist bump towards Faith (his girlfriend) and her dad.”
Littler added that the supporters began reacting to his gesture, prompting him to encourage them.
“That’s when the fans on that side started – they were all screaming – so I was like, ‘Come on’ to them, and then the whole arena got involved.”
That is an important distinction because Littler is effectively arguing that Van Veen misunderstood his intentions.
However, the world champion also believes his opponent unnecessarily escalated the situation by turning around while he still had a dart to throw.
“There was no need for Gian to look back and stare at me. He’s still got a dart in hand, so really, he should just step back, look at the floor, and then throw his last dart. Instead, he’s staring at me.”
Littler was particularly dismissive of the suggestion that he deliberately celebrated Van Veen’s mistake.
“Apparently, he said he caught me (celebrating his miss). But that’s a load of… nothing. I didn’t do it to him. I did it to Faith and her dad, and to the whole crowd.”
Why Littler Called Van Veen a Crybaby
Perhaps the most interesting part of Littler’s explanation concerned what happened immediately after the confrontation.
The teenager claimed there was an additional moment that viewers might not have noticed during the television broadcast.
According to Littler, Van Veen put his darts down on the table while the disagreement was unfolding.
He believes that action was unnecessary and showed a lack of respect towards him.
Littler explained:
“What other people didn’t see was that, as I’ve walked back around, he put his darts down on the table. No one sees that, so hopefully this gets out to people. He’s the one who was not doing his job of being respectful.”
He also admitted that he called Van Veen a “crybaby” because he was unhappy with the Dutchman’s reaction.
“I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone put their darts down in front of my face. I come inside and called him a crybaby because there was no need for it.”
Littler insisted that he eventually acknowledged Van Veen’s victory.
“When he won, I picked up my darts and said, ‘Well done, you got the win.'”
It is worth remembering that these are Littler’s recollections of the incident. Van Veen has offered a different interpretation, and the two accounts have not produced a universally accepted explanation.
The Incident Could Add More Fire to Their Rivalry
There is little doubt that Littler and Van Veen are developing an increasingly interesting rivalry.
Their competitive relationship has become particularly fascinating following their meeting in the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship final, where Littler defeated the Dutchman 7-1 to secure another world title.
Van Veen has nevertheless demonstrated that he can challenge the sport’s biggest names.
He is not simply another player looking to enjoy a few memorable matches against Littler. He has the ability, confidence and scoring power to compete for major honours.
That makes their disagreements potentially more significant.
Darts has always benefited from rivalries that capture the imagination of supporters. The battles involving Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and other established stars have demonstrated how tension can add another dimension to the sport.
But there is a difference between competitive intensity and unnecessary personal hostility.
Littler is still young, and his enormous success means his behaviour will inevitably attract scrutiny that other players might not experience to the same extent.
At the same time, he should be allowed to defend himself when he believes a situation has been misunderstood.
Have the Two Players Settled Their Differences?
Despite Littler explaining his position, the disagreement was not immediately resolved.
By April 24, Sky Sports reported that Littler had still not spoken to Van Veen since their Manchester confrontation.
However, he suggested that the situation was settled from his perspective and indicated that he was looking forward to facing the Dutchman again.
That is probably the best outcome for darts.
Neither player needs to become friends, but their rivalry should ultimately be decided by what happens on the oche rather than disagreements between visits.
Van Veen has every right to feel that Littler’s behaviour was disrespectful, while Littler has every right to explain why he believes that interpretation was wrong.
The important thing is what happens when they next share the stage.
Littler Has Had His Say, But the Debate Continues
Littler’s explanation has certainly provided supporters with more information about what he believes happened in Manchester.
His claim that the gesture was directed towards Faith, her father and the crowd offers a different perspective from Van Veen’s accusation that he celebrated an opponent’s missed match dart.
However, admitting that he called Van Veen a crybaby also shows that the confrontation went beyond a simple misunderstanding.
Both players have made their positions clear, and neither has completely backed down.
Personally, this is the kind of rivalry that could make darts even more entertaining, provided the competitive respect remains intact.
Littler and Van Veen are two exceptional talents, and supporters should be looking forward to their next meeting rather than seeing their relationship reduced to one controversial moment.
But who was actually in the wrong in Manchester? Was Littler simply encouraging the crowd, or should he have shown more restraint while Van Veen was still throwing?
And did the Dutchman overreact?