Jamie Carragher has delivered a brutal verdict on Michael van Gerwen’s fading career—telling the Dutch legend to “leave darts before darts leaves you” after the three-time world champion sensationally failed to qualify for the US Darts Masters.
In a seismic shock for the sport, Van Gerwen, 37, will be absent from next month’s Madison Square Garden showpiece after crashing out in the final qualifying round on Monday night. The world No. 2 suffered a stunning 6-3 defeat to unseeded Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena—his third qualifying failure of the year and the first time since 2015 that he has missed a major PDC televised event.
The result sent tremors through the darts world, but it was former Liverpool defender turned pundit Carragher who delivered the most withering assessment on Sky Sports News.
“That’s not a blip. That’s a statement,” Carragher said, visibly animated. “Michael van Gerwen used to be the man who others feared qualifying against. Now he’s the one getting turned over by players who don’t even have a Premier League spot.”
He continued: “I said it before—leave darts before darts leaves you. Well, darts has just left him at the door. Missing the US Masters? That’s like Manchester United not qualifying for Europe. It’s unthinkable. But it’s reality now.”
Carragher’s comments come just weeks after his previous warning following Van Gerwen’s early exit from the UK Open. But this time, the failure to even reach the tournament stage has amplified the scrutiny to deafening levels.
Van Gerwen, who has dominated the sport for the better part of a decade with 47 PDC major titles, cut a dejected figure after the match. He refused to speak to print journalists but told PDC TV: “I played s***. Simple. No excuses. But I am not finished. One bad qualifying does not make a career.”
His rival and world No. 1 Luke Humphries offered sympathy but acknowledged the changing landscape: “It’s strange not seeing Michael on a big-stage line-up. The game moves fast. The kids are relentless. He knows he has to find something extra—or find a new plan.”
The qualification failure has also sparked fierce debate over Van Gerwen’s invitation to July’s World Matchplay, with some pundits suggesting his automatic spot should be reconsidered if form continues to plummet.
Social media erupted within minutes of the final dart. One fan posted: “Carragher is harsh but he’s not wrong. MvG is a shadow. This hurts to watch.” Another countered: “He’s won more than Carra ever will. Show some respect.”
Even Van Gerwen’s long-time rival Peter Wright weighed in: “You don’t write off a champion like Michael. But you also don’t ignore the signs. He’s got work to do—real work.”
For now, Van Gerwen faces an agonising wait to see if he receives a wildcard for the US Masters—a decision that PDC officials have yet to confirm. But Carragher, never one to back down, delivered a final parting shot:
“Wildcard? For what? To lose in the first round? Let the young lads have their moment. Michael had his. It was glorious. But every great story has a final chapter. The only question is whether you write it—or the game writes it for you.”
The US Darts Masters begins on July 24 without its once-unstoppable Dutch icon. Whether Van Gerwen uses this humiliation as fuel for a renaissance or begins the long, slow walk toward retirement is now the sport’s most gripping subplot.