Gian van Veen Selects His Ultimate Five-a-Side Darts Team—Does Luke Littler Make the Cut?
GIAN VAN VEEN has chosen Luke Littler for his ideal five-a-side darts team, confidently anticipating a successful scoring outcome.
These two competitors faced each other in the World Darts Championship final this past January.
The Dutchman is excited to see their collaboration in a unique darts football setup.
His team consists of two Dutch players and three English ones, featuring a towering 6ft 6in goalkeeper and the passionate Manchester United and England fan Littler, along with another World Cup champ.
As he prepares for the US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden in New York, Van Veen divulged his team choices to SunSport.
The world No. 3 mentioned, “I’ll pick Wessel Nijman as the goalkeeper since his height will work in our advantage.
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“For the defense, I will choose Luke Humphries due to his exceptional energy, along with Nathan Aspinall for the team.
“In midfield, I’ve observed Luke Littler landing some solid hits, so he seems like a great fit.
“I’ll place myself as the striker, a position I played during my younger days.”
At just 24, Van Veen is avidly following his favorite Dutch national team during the World Cup, having participated in the iconic Oranje fan parade at Euro 2024.
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However, now that he and his team missed the opportunity for world champion status, would he prefer the PDC individual title or to see his country claim the 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 can make a strong push this time; they might just take it home.
“It’s going to be a tough road ahead. Following our first match, a 5-1 win against Sweden raised my hopes, making me think, ‘Okay, we’re on the right path this tournament.’
“The game against Tunisia feels like just a formality now; we’re already through, so let’s win that, secure our top spot, and then face likely Morocco or Brazil.
“But as long as we grab that win, I’ll be content.
“From what I’ve observed thus far, I believe France will take home the trophy this year.”
Currently located in North America, the Dutchman is unable to 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 everyone can see, the Dutch supporters march passionately behind the bus, moving side to side. The fans are phenomenal. I was part of that march during the Euros in Germany two years back.
“It was an incredible experience, and it’s amazing that our small nation is so prominently represented on the global stage.”