For the first time in 14 years, Michael van Gerwen has dropped out of the top 10 rankings after suffering a first-round exit at the European Championship.

Van Gerwen, who has failed to progress beyond his opening match in seven of his last eight tournaments, was beaten 6-2 by compatriot Kevin Doets, who will face Krzysztof Ratajski in the next round.

As a result of his latest setback, the three-time world champion dropped three places in the PDC Order of Merit standings, meaning he sits 13th in the ranking behind Ross Smith, Wessel Nijman and Stephen Bunting.

Van Gerwen's defeat to Doets remains a big talking point on social media. Jetze Jan Idsardi, a prominent voice in the darts community, made a telling comment following Friday's result.

Taking to X, he wrote: "If Michael van Gerwen drops out of the top 20, which is currently projected to happen after the World Championship: will he still be invited for the Premier League?"

Van Gerwen has competed in the Premier League for 14 consecutive seasons after making his debut in 2013. In fact, he has won a record seven Premier League titles in 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

His recent fall outside the top 10 does not automatically rule him out of the 2027 Premier League, as the competition also includes wildcard selections, but he would likely need to improve for an invite.

Michael van Gerwen opens up on difficult conversation with Vincent van der Voort

Van Gerwen has endured a difficult period of late. As well as poor performances on the oche, his relationship with his wife Daphne ended after 11 years of marriage, and his father, Henri, became seriously ill.

Speaking in an interview with Sportnieuws.nl, the Dutchman recalled a recent conversation with Vincent van der Voort, who asked when he had last been truly happy.

“I didn’t have an answer to that," he replied. "I really didn’t know. Purely because I hadn’t felt good for a long time. That did shock me. When you’re in a rut, you start questioning things.

"People probably think it’s strange when I say that. He has a lot of money, success, and who knows what else, right? But that’s not what it’s about."

Van Gerwen admitted he should have savoured his success more, adding: “I didn’t enjoy the success enough. To me, that was the most normal thing in the world. I won about 160 PDC tournaments."

He added: "It felt more like assembly line work. It was more like, hop, the prize is in the bag and on to the next tournament.”

The 37-year-old also touched on his split with Daphne. “That a relationship ends in such a way is painful,” Van Gerwen said.

“By now, I can say that it is better this way, also for me as a person. Of course, the divorce has had a huge impact on me. You suddenly have to adjust on many levels. That hasn't always been easy for me. My life has changed completely.”