Michael van Gerwen unrecognisable 15 years on from maiden Sky Sports darts appearance
dailystar.co.ukMichael van Gerwen is probably the most recognisable figure in darts.While the last couple of years haven’t been his best, the Green Machine remains one of the finest players on the planet.
Van Gerwen has swept all before him over the last decade, winning three World Championships and a host of other TV majors.But back on June 7, 2007, MVG was a little known teenager making his debut in front of the Sky Sports cameras as Bolton hosted the UK Open.
Plenty had been heard, but little had been seen of the 18-year-old outside of his native Netherlands.In his first match of the tournament, Van Gerwen was pitted against Chris McTernan and offered glimpses of his potential with an 8-1 victory.
To mark 15 years since that occasion, Sky Sports have posted highlights of the match on YouTube.The bright green shirt, which looks a couple of sizes too big for him, is present but otherwise it wouldn’t be obvious that the player in question was Van Gerwen, who has a full head of gelled spiky hair.But the speed of play is certainly recognisable, which caught the eye of legendary commentators Sid Waddell and Nigel Pearson.
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