Gerwyn Price warns Luke Littler to expect criticism after ugly spat with Gian van Veen

Jack Otway
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:22:29 +0000

Gerwyn Price has cautioned Luke Littler that criticism will inevitably follow his dramatic outburst during the Premier League event in Manchester.

The Iceman, who went on to defeat Van Veen in the final, stood by the World Champion's passionate display whilst acknowledging the consequences that await.

"Sometimes you need to be a bit peed off and get those reactions. Otherwise, what's the point? Do you not want to win?" Price stated in defence of Littler.

However, he conceded the teenager should brace himself for scrutiny: "You'll probably regret some of the things you do and the reactions you have. Sometimes it happens, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it."

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Price predicted the controversy would dissipate quickly, suggesting that within a fortnight the matter would be forgotten as emotions naturally run high in the sport.

The World number one found himself embroiled in a fiery confrontation with Dutch opponent Gian van Veen during the closing stages of their Premier League encounter.

The flashpoint occurred when Van Veen narrowly missed double 15, which would have secured victory for the Dutchman.

Littler reacted by throwing his arms into the air and gesturing towards the Manchester crowd, appearing to mock his opponent with a crying motion.

The celebration proved premature as the 19-year-old then squandered his own opportunities at double seven, allowing Van Veen to return and clinch the match.

Following a brief handshake, Littler swiftly departed the stage, leaving his opponent visibly angered by the World Champion's conduct throughout the tense finale.

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Van Veen offered his account of the controversial moment, revealing he had turned around after his missed dart purely out of frustration with himself.

"I was fuming with myself that I hit it on the inside. I looked around. He was celebrating me missing and I was like that is out of order," the Dutchman explained.

He expressed bewilderment at Littler's reaction, adding: "He looked at me like I was the problem. I was like I don't know what I did wrong. He was celebrating me missing. That is out of order."

Despite the heated exchange, Van Veen was quick to praise his rival's impact on the sport.

"I love Luke to bits. He's a fantastic player, he's a fantastic guy for the sport as well," he said, before concluding: "Today was my day."

Former professional and Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle provided his breakdown of events immediately after the match concluded.

"Gian went inside the 15 and Luke was happy about that. So he kind of gave it the Simon Whitlock well done. You shouldn't do that," Mardle observed.

The analyst noted that Van Veen's reaction upon turning around prompted an exchange between the players, though Mardle declined to reveal what Littler said.

"I can lip read but I'm not repeating what Luke said. I don't want to hand in my notice!" he quipped.

"With that situation, you’ve got to say Gian handled it better because Luke came back to the board and fluffed his lines.

“He got a bit aggressive on the double seven. Gian won the game in the end. He held it together really well.”