NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, England -- World Championship runner-up Gian van Veen has said he thinks Luke Littler "is still going to be top of the world in five or 10 years" and that he would be happy being "number two or three" as long as he is battling him for major titles.
Van Veen moved up to No. 3 in the world rankings with his run to January's World Championship final, beating Gary Anderson and No. 2 Luke Humphries along the way. But the Dutchman was no match for Littler in the final as "The Nuke" recorded a crushing 7-1 win that saw him become the fist player to defend his title since Anderson a decade earlier.
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Littler followed up his World Championship triumph with another title on Sunday as he won the World Masters -- one of only two major trophies that had eluded him so far in his career (Van Veen won the other, the European Championship, in October).
The 19-year-old's victory over Humphries in the final of the Masters caused his rival to describe him as "the greatest darts player who has ever lived."
Van Veen, speaking ahead of the opening night of the new Premier League campaign on Thursday, was asked about Littler's place at the top of the sport and replied: "I think I've got this question today as well: 'Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?' And I think Luke Littler is still going to be top of the world in five or 10 years, and I would be happy if I'll be number two or three really close to him, battling him."
Pushed on whether he considers Littler to be "unstoppable," the Dutchman replied: "He's not unstoppable, but I think he's not shown too many signs of him being stoppable at the moment.
"Of course, especially in short formats he is beatable, but in the longer formats at the moment, no one's coming near him."
Van Veen is playing in the Premier League for the first time and is third favourite with bookmakers -- behind Littler and Humphries -- to be the man lifting the trophy onstage at the O2 Arena on May 28.
His lack of belief in his ability to dethrone Littler will turn heads in the darting world given the 23-year-old Van Veen is often billed as one of the only players able to live with Littler at his best.
"I don't see myself finishing top of the [Premier] league, I think because I think they're way too good for that, especially someone like Luke Littler.
"I think once he gets through the quarterfinals, semifinals he's becoming a different guy and he's very good in the semis, the final. So he'll probably win a couple of nights and I think it'll be difficult to finish on top, but as long as I get in the top four, get to the O2, then I think I've got a good shot at it."
Van Veen faces Littler in the quarterfinals of the opening night of the 2026 Premier League in Newcastle on Thursday. As a non-ranking event, any prize money earned in the Premier League does not count in the two-year period which is used to determine the world rankings.