John Henderson relishing dream Premier League Darts homecoming in Aberdeen
Written by News on 07/03/2019
The Premier League Darts roadshow heads to Aberdeen for Night Five on Thursday, as home hero John Henderson makes his Premier League debut against Michael van Gerwen.
Scottish crowd favourite Henderson will be roared on by 4,000 passionate fans at The BHGE Arena as he looks to cause an upset against the World No 1, who is bidding to win a fourth consecutive Premier League crown.
Henderson will be the fifth contender to make his Premier League bow following the withdrawal of his compatriot Gary Anderson, and the 45-year-old spoke to The Darts Show ahead of one of the biggest nights of his career.
“I’m playing against the best player in the world, so I’ve got nothing to lose and I’m going to go up there and enjoy it,” said Henderson, who defeated Van Gerwen en route to reaching the World Grand Prix semi-finals in 2017.
“Although I beat Michael in the World Grand Prix a couple of years ago, I know that was in a completely different environment and it won’t count for anything on Thursday.
“I must admit it was a great surprise when I got the call to play in the Premier League, but it’s always been a dream of mine since joining the PDC.
“I think my form has come on quite a bit since the Worlds, I’ve got the confidence now and I’ve had a good start to the ProTour season so I can hopefully take that form into Thursday.”
The pair have not met since Henderson stunned ‘Mighty Mike’ at the World Grand Prix, but the Dutchman still dominates the head-to-head record, having won their eight encounters prior to that.
However, Van Gerwen will be hoping to avoid back-to-back Premier League defeats for what would be just the second time since his debut back in 2013.
The four-time Premier League champion slipped to a surprise 7-3 defeat against James Wade on Night Four in Exeter, before suffering a shock reverse to Mervyn King at the UK Open the following day, so he’ll be determined to bounce back in style.
The Premier League heads to the BHGE Arena in Aberdeen on Thursday, March 7. You can also stay up to date with all the action by following us @SkySportsDarts and get all the latest news, previews and interviews www.skysports.com/darts
(c) Sky News 2019: John Henderson relishing dream Premier League Darts homecoming in Aberdeen
