World champion Luke Humphries has claimed that Michael van Gerwen has the biggest ego in professional darts.
Speaking on the Happy Hour Podcast, Humphries was quick to identify the Dutch star when asked about egos among his rivals.
Van Gerwen, who recently suffered defeat to Luke Littler at Alexandra Palace in the World Darts Championship, is the second most successful player of all time behind Phil Taylor.
The revelation comes with a surprising twist involving Van Gerwen’s close friend Vincent van der Voort.
Michael van Gerwen has rubbed up his opponents the wrong way some times
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According to Humphries, Van der Voort has physically confronted Van Gerwen on two occasions over the years.
“Vincent has actually punched Michael a couple of times,” Humphries revealed, though he clarified it wasn’t “actually battering him.”
The first incident occurred early in Van Gerwen’s career, while the second took place about eight years ago when “his ego was getting a bit high and he just walloped him,” Humphries explained.
The second confrontation reportedly came after Van Gerwen showed Van der Voort disrespect.
Despite these physical confrontations, Van Gerwen and Van der Voort maintain a remarkably close friendship.
Their bond is so strong that Van der Voort served as best man at Van Gerwen’s wedding.
Humphries praised Van der Voort’s character, saying: “Vincent is one of the coolest people, he’s so straight talking, so funny, I get along really well with him and he’s a really good character.”
Luke Humphries feels Michael van Gerwen suits being self-confident
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Van der Voort’s influence on Van Gerwen appears to be positive, with Humphries noting that he is “really good for him.”
Despite the ego-related incidents, Humphries maintains that Van Gerwen’s self-confidence suits his personality.
“He wears it really well,” Humphries said. “It kind of suits him in a weird way. I think it’s a Dutch thing as well.”
The world number one also revealed he has a good relationship with Van Gerwen himself.
“Michael van Gerwen, I’m good friends with him as well, he’s a really nice guy,” Humphries added.
Humphries revealed he maintains positive relationships across the professional darts circuit.
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Michael van Gerwen is a four-time world champion
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“I get along with pretty much everybody,” he said, mentioning close friendships with Nathan Aspinall and Joe Cullen.
The world champion also spoke about his role in helping newcomer Luke Littler feel welcome in the PDC.
“I thought he needs someone he can go over to if he needs to,” Humphries explained. “I don’t like seeing him sit over in the corner and feel like he’s just got to play on his phone.”