Michael van Gerwen breaks silence on wife split with heartfelt message about his children

Michael van Gerwen has insisted that "everything is kind of under control now" as he spoke for the first time on his split from wife Daphne. The three-time world champion has taken time away from darts after announcing last month that the couple had ended their relationship.

They have two children together - a daughter, Zoe, 7, and a son, Mike, 5. Van Gerwen has explained that the priority is those two kids and ensuring that "things are good" for them despite their parents' tumultuous time at home.

Van Gerwen is set to return to the PDC oche this weekend for the US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden, New York, with darts continuing its popularity boom in the United States.

And upon his return, Van Gerwen has spoken out on his split for the first time. He said: "Everything is kind of under control now. I have space in my head again to return to the oche. Darts at the highest level is what I love to do the most.

"Everyone knows it's been a very eventful period for me. But you can't dwell on the past. I have to move on. I have to work again and find pleasure in what I'm doing again."

Van Gerwen has also called for his family's privacy to be respected during this period, as he prepares to go back to work.

"A lot of people ask me things, but this is a private matter," he added, outlining his children as a priority. "Nobody has anything to do with that. What people think about it doesn't affect me.

"The most important thing for me is that things are good for my children. Whether I look left or right, it's all over social media. It's actually too crazy for words, but it's part of it. What people say doesn't affect me anymore. This is not the first storm I've experienced."

Though he is yet to return to PDC action, Van Gerwen did compete at a Modus Darts event in Waregem, Belgium, last weekend.

Fans were shocked when the Dutchman made his entrance to the stage, however, as Van Gerwen was not sporting the green shirt he has become synonymous with over the years. Instead, he donned a black top.

Whether the iconic lime green will return in New York remains to be seen, with Van Gerwen joining a star-studded cast Stateside.

He is joined by Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Stephen Bunting, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Damon Heta and Nathan Aspinall as the PDC representatives. They will face North American stars Matt Campbell, Jim Long, Danny Lauby, Jules van Dongen, Leonard Gates, Adam Sevada, Jason Brandon and Stowe Buntz.