Darts star Gian van Veen reveals he led Harrogate Town to Champions League glory – on Football Manager
Harrogate Town have found themselves at the centre of an unlikely sporting crossover after one of darts' brightest young stars revealed he once guided them to Champions League glory – on Football Manager.
Gian van Veen made the admission in a video shared by Football Manager on TikTok, where PDC players were asked about which club they most enjoyed managing in the hugely popular management simulation game.
Asked which club he enjoyed managing the most, Van Veen did not hesitate.
"Oh, I've done a few," he said.
"I've done Harrogate – I think they played in the National League back then and I’ve taken them to the Champions League title.”
The Dutchman was then asked whether he had ever visited Harrogate, admitting he has yet to make the trip despite his virtual success with the club.
"No, I've never been – I probably need to go," he said.
"I've seen all the stories online about guys who take a local team to the Champions League and you want to visit the game, so I probably should have done."
While Harrogate Town will be battling it out in the National League next season following relegation from League Two, Van Veen's Football Manager success imagined a very different future for the Sulphurites.
Football Manager has become renowned for allowing players to transform lower-league clubs into continental giants, with long-term challenges proving especially popular among the game's millions of players.
Van Veen, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the brightest young talents on the PDC circuit.
The Dutchman has enjoyed a rapid rise in professional darts in recent years, collecting ranking titles and becoming a regular fixture in the latter stages of major tournaments.
While Champions League nights at the Marcy Fitness Stadium remain a fantasy for now, Van Veen's Football Manager achievement has certainly given Harrogate Town fans something to smile about.