Robin van Persie

In this Dutch name, the surname is Van Persie, not Persie.

Robin van Persie (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɔbɪɱ vɑm ˈpɛrsi] (listen); born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation,^[4] Van Persie was known for his excellent technique and ball control, intelligent positioning, and vision.^[5] He is the all-time top scorer for the Netherlands national team. He is currently an assistant manager at boyhood club Feyenoord in his first managerial role.

Robin van Persie

Van Persie with Fenerbahçe in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Robin van Persie^[1]
Date of birth	(1983-08-06) 6 August 1983 (age 39)^[2]
Place of birth	Rotterdam, Netherlands
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)^[3]
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1988–1999	Excelsior
1999–2001	Feyenoord
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2004	Feyenoord	61	(14)
2004–2012	Arsenal	194	(96)
2012–2015	Manchester United	86	(48)
2015–2018	Fenerbahçe	57	(25)
2018–2019	Feyenoord	37	(21)
Total		435	(204)
International career
2000	Netherlands U17	6	(0)
2001	Netherlands U19	6	(0)
2002–2005	Netherlands U21	12	(1)
2005–2017	Netherlands	102	(50)
Managerial career
2020–	Feyenoord (assistant)
Honours Representing  Netherlands Men's football FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2010 South Africa 2014 Brazil
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Starting his career as a winger, Van Persie made his senior debut for Feyenoord during the 2001–02 season, which culminated with victory in the 2002 UEFA Cup Final; he was also named as the Dutch Football Talent of the Year. After five years with Feyenoord, he fell out with manager Bert van Marwijk, and he joined English club Arsenal in 2004 as a long-term replacement for compatriot Dennis Bergkamp. Van Persie was converted to a striker by manager Arsène Wenger and went on to be a consistent goalscorer for Arsenal. He scored a club record of 35 goals in 2011 and was club captain for the 2011–12 season, prior to joining rivals Manchester United in July 2012. In his first season, he won the Premier League and his second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot.

After two injury-hit seasons followed, Van Persie fell out of favour at United and he was allowed to leave for Fenerbahçe in July 2015. During his spell in Turkey, Van Persie featured regularly in his first season, but saw limitations in playing time in the following two campaigns after suffering with injuries, with both club and player agreeing to a buyout in January 2018, after which he rejoined Feyenoord on a free transfer. By the end of the season he had helped his boyhood team win the Dutch Cup, his first trophy since the 2013 FA Community Shield.^[6]

After representing the Netherlands at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level, Van Persie made his senior international debut in 2005 in a friendly match against Romania. A month later, he scored his first senior international goal in a 4–0 win over Finland. Van Persie has over 100 caps and scored 50 goals for the Netherlands, and from 2013 to 2015 he was the team's captain. He has represented his country at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, and the 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championships.

Club career

Feyenoord

Born in Rotterdam, Van Persie joined the youth squad of local side SBV Excelsior when he was five, but left for Feyenoord at the age of 16 after falling out with the Excelsior coaching staff over his "petulant" attitude.^[7] An injury crisis at Feyenoord meant he was quickly promoted into the first team, and made his debut for the club at 17, the first of 15 total starts during the 2001–02 season. After starting for Feyenoord in the final of the UEFA Cup, Van Persie received the KNVB Best Young Talent award.^[8]

The following season, Van Persie signed a three-and-a-half-year professional contract with Feyenoord, and scored five goals in a 6–1 KNVB Cup thrashing of AGOVV Apeldoorn on 6 February 2003.^[9] However, clashes with his manager Bert van Marwijk saw Van Persie demoted to the reserve squad.^[10] During a match featuring the Feyenoord and Ajax reserves, he was one of several Feyenoord players assaulted by hooligans who had invaded the pitch.^[11] Van Persie's rift with Van Marwijk continued when he was sent home on the eve of the 2002 UEFA Super Cup final against Real Madrid after the coach was displeased with Van Persie's body language after being asked to warm up for a Champions League qualifier.^[12] Van Persie finished his tumultuous first full season with the first team having scored eight goals in a total of 28 appearances, in addition to finishing runner-up in the KNVB Cup.

Feyenoord unsuccessfully attempted to extend Van Persie's contract during the off-season, and his deteriorating relationship with Van Marwijk led to his spending most of the 2003–04 season on the bench. He again played 28 matches, but finished with two fewer goals than the previous season. Feyenoord shopped him at the end of the campaign but found few takers due to Van Persie's past disciplinary issues. During the January transfer window, the Eredivisie club opened negotiations with Arsenal, who were seeking a long-term replacement for aging veteran Dennis Bergkamp, but both parties could not agree to terms.

Arsenal

2004–05 season

On 17 May 2004, Van Persie signed a four-year deal with Arsenal for £2.75 million, just over half of Feyenoord's original asking price of £5 million.^[13] Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who planned to convert Van Persie from a left winger to a centre forward as he had successfully done with star player Thierry Henry,^[14] said of his new acquisition, "He can play on the left side of midfield, as a creative player behind the main strikers or as a target man."^[15][16] Arsenal had further padded their stable of strikers in January by signing Spanish forward José Antonio Reyes,^[17] leaving the two to battle for playing time. Van Persie made his debut and won a trophy in the process, as he came on as a substitute in the 3–1 FA Community Shield victory over Manchester United on 8 August 2004.^[18] Van Persie spent most of his time on the bench during earlier parts of the 2004–05 season, and marked his first competitive start on 27 October by scoring Arsenal's opening goal in a 2–1 League Cup win over Manchester City.^[19]

It was the goal of a lifetime. He's played for a long time and I'm not sure he's scored one like that.

— Arsène Wenger, regarding Van Persie's goal against Charlton Athletic in the 2006–07 Premier League^[20]

He was sent off for the first time, however, in an Arsenal shirt on 26 February during a 1–1 road draw with Southampton, following a lunge at left-back Graeme Le Saux, for which Wenger was seen yelling an obscenity at Van Persie from the sidelines. He then later lambasted his charge in the press. "I do not support Van Persie today, but he did not look out of control at half-time. When the referee has sent off a home player, he is under pressure, so, if any player had to behave, it was him." Meanwhile, Telegraph sportswriter Clive White described Van Persie in his match report as "21 going on nine."^[21]

Van Persie was consequently benched for a number of games, starting with Arsenal's upcoming replay in the FA Cup against Sheffield United,^[22] and he was reintroduced into the squad only after Henry was out with a calf injury, and his return to the first team saw him score twice in a Cup semi-final win over Blackburn Rovers. He came on as a substitute in the final and scored one of the penalties in the shootout as Arsenal beat Manchester United.^[23] The end of Van Persie's season was disrupted by injury, and he finished with ten goals in 41 appearances in all competitions.^[24]

2005–06 season

 

After the retirement of Dennis Bergkamp, Van Persie regularly partnered Thierry Henry in the Arsenal attack.

Van Persie's good form at the start of the 2005–06 season earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award for November 2005 after eight goals in eight starts,^[14] and he was rewarded with a five-year contract extension until 2011 on 4 January.^[25] Two days after signing the contract, however, Van Persie was again hit by injury when an opponent stepped on his foot and broke his toe during an FA Cup match against Cardiff.^[26]

Van Persie played the next three matches with a hole cut into his shoe to alleviate the pain until he was finally rested for Arsenal's Premier League match against West Ham United on 1 February.^[12] He was an unused substitute in Arsenal's first Champions League final appearance, a 2–1 loss to Barcelona.^[27]

2006–07 season

The beginning of the 2006–07 season included an airborne volley against Charlton Athletic that Wenger called "the goal of a lifetime"^[28] and was later named BBC Sport's Goal of the Month for September,^[29] and he capped off the calendar year by being named the 2006 Rotterdam Sportsman of the Year. His season, however, ended early for the second time in his career on 21 January, when he fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot while celebrating his late equalizer in a match against Manchester United.^[30] Although Van Persie was injured for a large part of the season he still managed to finish as Arsenal's top goalscorer with 13 goals in all competitions.

2007–08 season

 

Van Persie in 2007

After Henry departed for Barcelona prior to the 2007–08 season, Van Persie assumed the role as Arsenal's main striker. Following a streak of seven goals in ten regular-season games, Van Persie was sidelined for two months with a knee injury suffered on international duty.^[31] He made his comeback in Arsenal's Champions League group stage win over Steaua București on 12 December and made his Premier League return in the win against Chelsea over the weekend. He picked up, however, a recurrent injury that kept him sidelined until January when he played 45 minutes in a League Cup game against Tottenham Hotspur. He was withdrawn at half-time following another injury scare and featured sporadically throughout the rest of the campaign.^[32]

2008–09 season

 

Van Persie and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba in 2008

Van Persie opened his 2008–09 account on 31 August with a brace in Arsenal's 3–0 league victory over Newcastle United.^[33] On 29 October, he scored his fiftieth career Arsenal goal in a 4–4 home draw with North London derby rivals Tottenham, but was hit with his first red card of the season on 1 November after knocking down goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen with a shoulder charge in a 2–1 loss to Stoke City. Sørensen later admitted to "teasing" Van Persie in an attempt to provoke a reaction.^[34] On 30 November, he scored a brace against Chelsea to help Arsenal come from behind and pick up a 2–1 victory at Stamford Bridge.^[35] On 21 December 2008, he scored a spectacular goal against Liverpool, which was later named the second BBC Goal of the Month of his career.^[36] With captain Cesc Fàbregas injured and regular stand-in skipper Manuel Almunia rested, Van Persie captained Arsenal for the first time on 3 January 2009 for the club's 3–1 FA Cup Third Round victory over Plymouth Argyle.^[37] Van Persie scored Arsenal's first and third goals, while the second was a result of his cross being deflected into the net by a Plymouth player for an own goal.^[38]

In January 2009, every Arsenal goal that month was either scored or assisted by Van Persie, which earned him the club's Player of the Month award.^[39] His most inspirational display being against Hull City, where he struck the post with a freekick, and provided three assists to his teammates; he later received the Man of the Match award. On 24 February, Van Persie scored a crucial penalty that earned Arsenal a 1–0 win over Roma in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 encounter, after he was fouled by defender Philippe Mexès.^[40] He followed it up with a fifth Champions League goal by converting another penalty against Villarreal in a 3–0 victory.

On the final day of the Premier League, Van Persie scored a brace against Stoke City, which guaranteed him for the second time in his career as Arsenal's top scorer. He had his best season overall for Arsenal as he scored 11 Premier League goals, along with a league-leading 11 assists and a career-best of 20 goals in all competitions. Van Persie was named the 2008–09 Arsenal.com Player of the Season.^[41]

2009–10 season

 

Van Persie taking a penalty kick in 2009

With only one year remaining of his contract, Van Persie was in negotiations with Arsenal about an extension for several months in 2009. Finally, it was announced in July that he had signed a new long-term contract with his club, stating, "My heart is with Arsenal and I just can't picture myself in a different shirt."^[42] The departure of Emmanuel Adebayor also meant that the Dutchman was now the main striker in Wenger's 4–3–3 system. Van Persie started the 2009–10 season with two assists in the first match against Everton, which led to a 6–1 victory. As one of the first choice penalty and corner takers, he has set up many of Arsenal's goals, including Thomas Vermaelen's debut goal against Everton. He scored his first goal of the season in the 4–2 loss at Eastlands to Manchester City, where he later had his head stomped on by former teammate Adebayor (an act the referee failed to notice, but the FA later charged Adebayor with violent conduct and served him with a three-game suspension).^[43]

He then scored goals against Olympiacos, Fulham, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, West Ham United, and Tottenham. Van Persie's excellent form in October did not go unrecognised as he was named Premier League Player of the Month for October, his second such award.^[44] On 14 November, however, he injured his ankle in an international friendly and was initially expected to be out for six weeks,^[45] but further tests showed that he would be out of action for five months. Van Persie made his return on 14 April, in a 2–1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. He then scored a header against Blackburn Rovers in the 2–1 defeat, and a goal assisted by Theo Walcott in the 4–0 win over Fulham in the last league game of 2009–10 season.

2010–11 season

 

Van Persie in 2010

Before the start of the 2010–11 season, Van Persie changed his squad number to 10, previously worn by Arsenal and Netherlands legend Dennis Bergkamp.^[46] He made his 200th appearance on 28 August but an ankle injury suffered in the same game placed him on the sidelines once again. He returned as a substitute for Arsenal's 1–0 home defeat to Newcastle United on 7 November.

On 1 January 2011, van Persie scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 away win over Birmingham City.^[47] On 15 January, he added two more goals to his tally in a comfortable 3–0 win over West Ham. This made him only the fourth Dutchman to reach 50 goals in England's top division.^[48] Van Persie scored his first career hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Wigan Athletic on 22 January^[49] and two goals against Newcastle United in a 4–4 draw on 5 February.^[50] Continuing his fine form, he hit a brace the following week against Wolverhampton Wanderers scoring both Arsenal goals in a 2–0 win including a volley from inside the box.^[51] The ten goals he scored between 1 January and 12 February set a new Premier League record for most goals scored in the first two months of a calendar year.^[52]

Van Persie set the Emirates alight with a goal from an almost impossible angle in Arsenal's fightback against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, which ended 2–1 in favour of the Gunners.^[53] On 27 February 2011, Van Persie captained Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in the League Cup final, scoring the first half equalizer for the Gunners. It was his first goal at Wembley and his first in a cup final for Arsenal. However, he was later taken off in the second half with a knee injury he picked up while scoring the goal.

 

Van Persie with Cesc Fàbregas and Sergio Busquets in a Champions League match in 2011

On 1 March 2011, he was ruled out for three weeks, which would see him miss the Champions League return leg with Barcelona. However, he recovered in time for the return leg at Camp Nou. During the game, he received a yellow card in the first half for a foul. In the second half, he was controversially sent off after receiving a second yellow card when the referee, Massimo Busacca, deemed him to be time-wasting by taking a shot at goal after the whistle was blown (one second earlier) for offside. Barcelona went on to score twice more and advanced to the quarter finals on a 4–3 aggregate result. Afterwards, Van Persie branded Busacca's decision as a "total joke", claiming that with the noise of the 95,000-strong crowd he could not hear the whistle. On 19 March 2011, he scored the equalizing goal in a 2–2 against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. The match finished 2–2 with Arsenal still five points behind the current leaders, Manchester United.

On 10 April 2011 in a match against Blackpool, Van Persie put in a Man of the Match performance to give Arsenal a crucial 3–1 win as he set up a goal and scored the third. On 24 April 2011, he became the first player to score in seven successive Premier League away games when he scored against Bolton, beating Didier Drogba's record who was on six successive away games, between August and November 2009. However, the Gunners lost 2–1, all but ending their title hopes. On 1 May he assisted Aaron Ramsey who scored the winning goal against league leaders Manchester United to add a twist to the Premier League. Van Persie was named Premier League Player of the Month for April.^[54]

On 8 May 2011, Arsenal lost 3–1 against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. Van Persie scored the goal for Arsenal and extended his Premier League record by scoring in an eighth successive away match. In the last home game of the season, he scored against Aston Villa, but Arsenal lost the match 2–1. In the last game of the season away to Fulham, he managed to score in his ninth consecutive away match, bringing his goal tally for the season to a personal record of 18 league goals. He also equalled the record held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry by scoring 18 league goals from the turn of the year to the end of the season. He ended the season just two goals behind joint league top scorers, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov in the race for the golden boot, despite being injured for half of the season. He was voted as the second best player of the 2010–11 season on Arsenal's official website and also received the team's Goal of the Season award for his audacious strike in the 2–1 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League.

2011–12 season

 

Van Persie was named captain of Arsenal for the 2011–12 season.

Having been appointed vice-captain for the 2010–11 season, Van Persie was promoted to club captain following the transfer of Cesc Fàbregas to FC Barcelona at the start of the 2011–12 season.^[55] On 24 August, Van Persie scored his first goal of the 2011–12 season in the second leg of Arsenal's 2–1 away victory against Udinese in a Champions League play off match. On 24 September 2011, he scored twice against Bolton Wanderers to raise his tally for Arsenal to 100 goals, becoming the 17th Arsenal player to reach this milestone.

On 16 October 2011, he scored the fastest goal of the 2011–12 Premier League season, 28 seconds into a home match against Sunderland.^[56] He went on to score a late winner from a curling left foot free kick, to put Arsenal 2–1 ahead. After the match, Van Persie stated his dedication to the club after speculation surrounding a future transfer away from the Emirates. On 23 October, he came on as a substitute in the 66th minute replacing Marouane Chamakh and scored two goals against Stoke City. The match ended 3–1 with another home win for Arsenal.^[57]

He then continued his scoring run for Arsenal on 29 October by scoring a hat-trick in Arsenal's 5–3 victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.^[58] Due to his consistent performances and good goal-scoring form, Van Persie was named the Premier League Player of the Month for October 2011. He continued scoring as he scored Arsenal's opening goal of the match in their 3–0 win over West Bromwich Albion on 5 November along with two assists. After the international break, he scored both Arsenal goals against Norwich City to help the Gunners to a 2–1 win on 19 November 2011.^[59] In Van Persie's fifth Champions League match of the season he scored twice in the 49th and 86th minute to lift Arsenal to a 2–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund and to qualify Arsenal for the knockout phase on 23 November 2011.^[60]

After failing to score against Fulham, Van Persie scored again for Arsenal, this time against Wigan Athletic to make the score 4–0 to Arsenal on 3 December 2011.^[61] He then added to his tally with the only goal of the game against Everton, an exquisite volley from an Alex Song long ball.^[62] The following match, versus Aston Villa, saw him score a penalty and provide an assist.^[63] Van Persie's final goal of the 2011 calendar year came in Arsenal's one-goal win over Queens Park Rangers on the last day of the year. The goal took his tally for the year to 35 goals, one short of Alan Shearer's Premier League record.^[64]

The following calendar year started in the same fashion for Van Persie, but Arsenal began to falter, losing three consecutive matches against Fulham, Manchester United and Swansea City, even though the Dutchman scored in the latter two. On 29 January, he rescued his team, scoring two penalties against Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup to help Arsenal to a 3–2 win after falling 2–0 down in a Man of the Match performance. It was also his 120th goal in an Arsenal shirt, equalling fellow Dutch legend Dennis Bergkamp's total. On 4 February, he overtook Bergkamp as the 10th highest scorer in Arsenal's history,^[65] scoring another hat-trick as Arsenal beat Blackburn 7–1 at home, with three close-range goals from crosses by Theo Walcott and Francis Coquelin. He was also credited with two assists in the game as he set up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's first Premier League goal and unselfishly passed to Thierry Henry enabling him to score his first Premier League goal since returning on loan.^[66]

With Arsenal in unpredictable form, Van Persie was again of supreme importance for Arsenal, this time in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, played on 26 February. Arsenal went 2–0 down at half in the first half, but Van Persie equalised before half-time. In the second half, he gave the assist to Walcott's goal as Arsenal performed a remarkable comeback to win the game 5–2.^[67] A week later, Van Persie scored both goals in a 2–1 away win at Liverpool, one being a left-footed volley assisted by Alex Song, similar to the goal he scored against Everton earlier in the campaign. On 11 April 2012, after scoring the penalty against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3–0 away win, he became only the second player, after Ian Wright, to score against 17 Premier League clubs in a 20-team campaign.^[68][69] He finished as the top goal-scorer in the Premier League with 30 goals,^[70] and became Arsenal's 8th all-time top scorer with 132 goals.^[71][72]

On 4 July 2012, Van Persie announced that he would not be signing a new contract with Arsenal.^[73]

Manchester United

2012–13 season

"I always listen to the little boy inside of me in these situations – when you have to make the harder decisions in life. What does he want? That boy was screaming for Man United. From my side, and Arsenal as well, there are no hard feelings. There were certain elements which were vital to me that we had a different view. That is life. Nobody is angry at me and I'm not angry at them."^[74]

— Robin van Persie on his transfer to Manchester United

 

Van Persie prepares to take a penalty for Manchester United against former club Arsenal at the Emirates in 2013.

On 15 August 2012, Arsenal announced they had agreed terms with Manchester United for his transfer, but Van Persie had yet to agree personal terms with the club.^[75] On 17 August, Van Persie transferred to Manchester United for an initial £22.5 million, with an additional £1.5 million to follow if United won a Premier League or Champions League title within the next four years. He signed a four-year contract, keeping him at the club until June 2016.^[76][77] Van Persie chose the number 20 shirt after assistant coach Rene Meulensteen convinced him that he would help secure Manchester United's 20th league title.^[78]

He made his debut on 20 August, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for Danny Welbeck in a 1–0 loss to Everton.^[79] Five days later, with his first shot for the club,^[80] he scored his first Manchester United goal, United's first in a 3–2 home victory over Fulham.^[81] On 2 September 2012, he scored his first hat-trick for United in another 3–2 victory over Southampton, helping pull United back from a 2–1 deficit; his third goal was his 100th in the Premier League.^[82] Van Persie netted a late penalty on 23 September to give United a 2–1 away win at Anfield against Liverpool, and opened his European account with the club, scoring a brace in the 2–1 away win against CFR Cluj, with both goals assisted by Wayne Rooney.

On 20 October, Van Persie scored United's second goal in a 4–2 win over Stoke City, opening up his body and guiding a cross into the far corner with his left foot. In the next Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, he scored his seventh goal in the league, with a sidefoot finish from Antonio Valencia's driven cross to put United 2–0 up. He also played a part in the first goal, firing a shot against the post that cannoned off David Luiz and into the net, in a 3–2 United win. On 3 November, he scored against his former club Arsenal in a 2–1 victory. This meant that he had scored against all 20 current Premier League clubs. On 9 December, Van Persie scored a last minute winner from a deflected free kick in a 3–2 victory over Manchester City, his Manchester derby debut.^[83] This goal ended City's unbeaten Premier League record in the 2012–13 season and also their unbeaten home record extending into the previous season.

After scoring against Everton on 10 February 2013, Van Persie went ten games without scoring, finally ending his barren run when he scored a penalty against Stoke on 14 April.^[84] Against Queens Park Rangers on 23 February, he had to be substituted after falling against a television camera and injuring a hip,^[85] but was fit for United's next match.^[86]

"Van Persie is the complete player. He has the entire package. He is a good footballer, but he scores loads of goals at the same time.'’^[87]

— Lionel Messi on Robin van Persie

On 22 April, he netted a first-half hat-trick against Aston Villa, confirming Manchester United's 20th league title with four games in hand. His second goal came from a Rooney pass from behind the halfway line, which he volleyed into the net from outside the box.^[88] Supporters of Manchester United voted Van Persie as the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for the 2012–13 season.^[89] Van Persie was nominated by UEFA into the 10-man shortlist for the 2012–13 Best Player in Europe award.^[90]

2013–14 season

 

Van Persie in 2013

Van Persie kick-started his new campaign by scoring both of Manchester United's goals in their 2–0 win against Wigan Athletic in the Community Shield, securing David Moyes' first honour as club manager. He scored twice more in the first Premier League match of the season, against Swansea City, for the first of which "he chested it down and executed a crisp, instant scissor-kick into the net".^[91] On 19 March 2014, Van Persie scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Olympiacos in the second leg of the Champions League second round to send United through to the quarter-finals 3–2 on aggregate.^[92]

2014–15 season

Van Persie scored his first goal for the season in his fourth league appearance in a 5–3 defeat to Leicester City on 21 September 2014.^[93] He scored again in the next game against West Ham United, helping United win the game 2–1.^[94] On 26 October 2014, against Chelsea, Van Persie scored a late equaliser to earn a point for United. In the dying minutes of injury time, Marouane Fellaini's header from Ángel Di María's free-kick was saved by Thibaut Courtois, and Van Persie smashed in the rebound to equalise.^[95] Van Persie celebrated the goal by taking his shirt off and was booked for his actions. His goal celebration was also labelled "stupid" by United coach Louis van Gaal.^[96]

On 11 January 2015, he suffered an ankle injury in a 1–0 home defeat to Southampton.^[97] Following Manchester United's defeat to West Bromwich Albion, which saw Van Persie miss a penalty, he was stripped of his penalty-taking duties by Van Gaal.^[98]

Fenerbahçe

On 14 July 2015, Van Persie joined Turkish side Fenerbahçe on a three-year deal for a fee claimed by Fenerbahçe to be £3.84 million.^[99][100] He was assigned the number 10 shirt.^[101] He and his former United teammate Nani debuted two weeks later in a goalless home draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in the third qualifying round of the season's Champions League, with Van Persie a 68th-minute substitute for Moussa Sow.^[102] His league debut came on 14 August as a 60th-minute substitute for Fernandão in a 2–0 win at Eskişehirspor.^[103] Six days later, he scored his first goal for his new club: as a late substitute for Sow, he headed the only goal away to Atromitos Athens in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs, with his first of only two touches in the entire match.^[104] Van Persie scored his first domestic goal for the club on his first start on 23 August, finishing Nani's pass for the opening goal in a 1–1 draw at Çaykur Rizespor.^[105]

Return to Feyenoord

On 19 January 2018, Van Persie agreed to return to Feyenoord after cancelling his contract with Fenerbahçe.^[106] On 28 February, van Persie scored his 300th career goal in a victory that put Feyenoord into the 2017–18 KNVB Cup final.^[107] He also scored in the final later on 22 April as Feyenoord defeated 3–0 AZ Alkmaar to claim their 13th trophy.^[108]

In October 2018 he announced he would retire from football at the end of the 2018–19 season.^[109] On 3 March 2019 he scored his first hat-trick in the Eredivisie in a 4–0 win against FC Emmen.^[110]

On 12 May 2019, Van Persie played his last professional match as a footballer in a 2–0 home defeat against ADO Den Haag. He nearly played the entire match before being replaced by Dylan Vente in the 93rd minute of extra time.^[111] Feyenoord coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst had previously confirmed that this would be Van Persie's last match despite having one matchday left in that season's Eredivisie.^[112]

International career

 

Van Persie in training with the Netherlands, 2006

See also: List of international goals scored by Robin van Persie

U21 career

Van Persie was a U-21 international and took part in the 2004 and 2006 European Championship qualifying. Van Persie was used in a wider role as a left wing due to the preference of the experienced Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in the striker role.^[113] The Jong Oranje failed to qualify for the 2004 tournament and Van Persie did not participate in the latter as he was already in the senior squad for the FIFA World Cup. He earned his first caps for the Netherlands in less than the span of a week, first in a 2–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Romania on 4 June 2005,^[114][115] and in another qualifier four days later against Finland, which saw him pick up his first international goal in a 4–0 victory.^[116]

2006 FIFA World Cup

Despite not being a regular starter for Arsenal, Van Persie was part of coach Marco van Basten's roster for the 2006 World Cup finals. He played in all four of the Netherlands' matches and scored his only goal in the group stage against Ivory Coast via a free kick as Oranje were eliminated in the Round of 16.^[117][118]

UEFA Euro 2008

Van Persie scored a team-best four UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying goals,^[119][120] and was deployed as a winger behind lone striker Ruud van Nistelrooy during the tournament after Van Basten decided to change to a 4–2–3–1 formation. As Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart were preferred in the midfield, Van Persie was left to battle with Arjen Robben for the remaining spot on the wing. On 13 June, he scored as a 55th-minute substitute in a 4–1 Group C victory over 2006 World Cup finalists France, and started the next match against Romania, scoring off a pass from Demy de Zeeuw with an excellent volley into the back of the net. He finished with two goals as the Netherlands finished atop their group but again suffered a first knock-out round, second stage elimination.^[121]

2010 FIFA World Cup

In the 2010 World Cup qualifying process, the Netherlands graduated from Group 9 with a 100% record.

Van Persie was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.^[122] On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk announced that he was in the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.^[123]

Van Persie was in the starting line-up for their first match in the competition, a 2–0 victory over Denmark.^[124] On 24 June, he scored the first goal against Cameroon in a 2–1 win to ensure that the Netherlands finished as group winners, and was officially named the man of the match.^[125] He started every match for Oranje, though he did not increase his goal tally in the following matches. Oranje reached the 2010 World Cup Final, in which he was on the losing side due to Andrés Iniesta's extra time goal.^[126]

UEFA Euro 2012

 

Van Persie attempting a shot against Denmark at UEFA Euro 2012

On 2 September 2011, Van Persie scored four goals in a record-breaking 11–0 victory in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group E over San Marino. He entered the Dutch national team's top 10 all-time topscorer ranking with a tally of 25 goals, dislodging Marco van Basten in the process.^[127] Van Persie had not scored four goals in a single match for a long while.^[128] Van Persie contributed six goals in total during qualifying.

On 13 June 2012, Van Persie scored the Dutch goal in a 2–1 loss to Germany in the European Championship group stage. Having missed two earlier chances, he picked up the ball near the halfway line, turned and ran at the German defence, before firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.^[129]

2014 FIFA World Cup

Van Persie ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as top scorer in the UEFA section with 11 goals.^[130] In June 2013, he was appointed captain of the Dutch national team by manager Louis van Gaal.^[131] On 11 October 2013, he became the Netherlands' top goalscorer of all-time in an 8–1 defeat of Hungary, the Dutch's penultimate Group D match, where he scored a hat-trick. This put him on 41 goals in 80 internationals, surpassing the record previously held by Patrick Kluivert.^[132]

In the team's opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Van Persie captained the Netherlands to a 5–1 win over champions Spain in Salvador.^[133] He scored twice in the match, one of which was a flying header which was later nominated for FIFA Puskás Award for the most beautiful goal of the year.^[134] He was also named man of the match by FIFA.^[135] On 18 June, he scored his third goal of the tournament in a 3–2 defeat of Australia, a result that qualified the Netherlands to the knockout stage with one group match remaining.^[136]

In the quarter-final, Van Persie scored the Netherlands' first kick in a 4–3 penalty shootout defeat of Costa Rica.^[137] He scored his fourth goal of the tournament from a penalty kick in a 3–0 win against Brazil in the third-place play-off.^[138] Van Persie was the only player since 1966 in World Cup history to score with his left foot, right foot, and head, as well as scoring from a free kick and a penalty kick.^[139]

UEFA Euro 2016

On 28 August 2015, Van Persie was replaced by Arjen Robben as captain of the national team.^[140] He replaced Huntelaar for the final three minutes of a 2–1 away win over Kazakhstan in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying on 10 October, his 100th appearance for the Netherlands. In doing so, Van Persie became the eighth Dutchman to reach the milestone.^[141] Three days later, in their final group game, Van Persie came on as a 38th-minute substitute for Jaïro Riedewald away to the Czech Republic and scored an own goal which handed the Czechs victory, despite scoring later on in a 3–2 defeat. The result meant that the Dutch did not qualify for an international tournament for the first time since 2002.^[142]

Coaching career

In May 2020, a year after his retirement, Van Persie became an assistant-coach to Dick Advocaat at his former club Feyenoord, where he would help train the club's strikers in an unofficial role.^[143] In May 2021, Feyenoord announced that Van Persie would officially join the club from the start of the 2021–22 season in a supporting role as a field coach, while also becoming the co-head coach at the club's under-16 team.^[144]

Personal life

 

Van Persie holding his toddler son, Shaqueel, in 2010

Van Persie was born in Rotterdam to an artistic family. José Ras, his mother, is a painter and jewellery designer who also teaches special needs children.^[145] Bob, his father, is a sculptor. After Van Persie's parents divorced he was brought up by his father. At school, Van Persie had serious problems with his behaviour and was excluded from class almost daily.^[145]

After joining Arsenal in England, Van Persie settled in Hampstead, an affluent suburb of north London. Van Persie is married to Bouchra (née Elbali), who is Moroccan,^[146] and the couple have two children, a son named Shaqueel born in 2006 and daughter Dina born in 2009. When asked if this caused him to convert to Islam, Van Persie said, "It's not true. I am not a Muslim, nor a Christian or a Jew. I have been raised liberally. If you want to become a Muslim it should come from the heart. I would not do it just to please my wife. To believe for me is a quest for being a good man."^[147]

Style of play

"Robin van Persie's such an amazing footballer. He hardly needs any space or time to become dangerous."

— Bert van Marwijk^[148]

Van Persie started his senior club career as a left winger and possessed an exceptional ball control and was also a talented striker of the ball. He was bought by Arsenal as a long-term replacement for Dennis Bergkamp. Manager Arsène Wenger planned to convert Van Persie from a left winger to a central forward as he had successfully done with star player Thierry Henry. He was at first mostly deployed as a supporting forward in League Cup and FA Cup matches. Due to the retirement of Bergkamp and departure of Freddie Ljungberg, Van Persie was given a starting role to play alongside Henry as a second striker upfront.

The departure of Emmanuel Adebayor and Henry meant the Dutchman was now the main striker in Wenger's 4–3–3 system and very successfully played further upfront as a pure striker, winning the Premier League Golden Boot twice in a row. Van Persie is also a set piece specialist and a vast number of his assists come from both corners and freekicks. He is also a proven direct freekick taker scoring regularly for his club and country.^[149][150] He was also occasionally deployed as a false-9 throughout is career, seemingly as a centre-forward, but given the freedom to drop deep.^[151][152]

Sponsorship

Van Persie has a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier, Adidas.^[153] Having previously worn Adidas Predator football boots he made the transition to the Adidas F50 adiZero boots in 2013.^[154]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition^[155]

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Feyenoord	2001–02	Eredivisie	10	0	0	0	—		7^[a]	0	—		17	0
	2002–03	Eredivisie	23	8	3	7	—		2^[b]	0	—		28	15
	2003–04	Eredivisie	28	6	2	0	—		3^[c]	0	—		33	6
	Total		61	14	5	7	—		12	0	—		78	21
Arsenal	2004–05	Premier League	26	5	5	3	3	1	6^[b]	1	1^[d]	0	41	10
	2005–06	Premier League	24	5	2	0	4	4	7^[b]	2	1^[d]	0	38	11
	2006–07	Premier League	22	11	1	0	0	0	8^[b]	2	—		31	13
	2007–08	Premier League	15	7	0	0	1	0	7^[b]	2	—		23	9
	2008–09	Premier League	28	11	6	4	0	0	10^[b]	5	—		44	20
	2009–10	Premier League	16	9	0	0	0	0	4^[b]	1	—		20	10
	2010–11	Premier League	25	18	2	1	3	1	3^[b]	2	—		33	22
	2011–12	Premier League	38	30	2	2	0	0	8^[b]	5	—		48	37
	Total		194	96	18	10	11	6	53	20	2	0	278	132
Manchester United^[156]	2012–13	Premier League	38	26	4	1	0	0	6^[b]	3	—		48	30
	2013–14	Premier League	21	12	0	0	0	0	6^[b]	4	1^[d]	2	28	18
	2014–15	Premier League	27	10	2	0	0	0	—		—		29	10
	Total		86	48	6	1	0	0	12	7	1	2	105	58
Fenerbahçe	2015–16	Süper Lig	31	16	5	5	—		12^[e]	1	—		48	22
	2016–17	Süper Lig	24	9	4	4	—		7^[f]	1	—		35	14
	2017–18	Süper Lig	2	0	0	0	—		2^[f]	0	—		4	0
	Total		57	25	9	9	0	0	21	2	—		87	36
Feyenoord	2017–18	Eredivisie	12	5	2	2	—		—		—		14	7
	2018–19	Eredivisie	25	16	4	2	—		1^[f]	0	1^[g]	0	31	18
	Total		37	21	6	4	—		1	0	1	0	45	25
Career total			435	204	44	31	11	6	99	29	4	2	593	272

1. Appearances in UEFA Champions League, appearances in UEFA Cup
2. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
3. Appearances in UEFA Cup
4. Appearance in FA Community Shield
5. One appearance in UEFA Champions League, eleven appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
6. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
7. Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield

International

 

Van Persie training with the Netherlands team

Main article: List of international goals scored by Robin van Persie

Appearances and goals by national team and year^[157]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Netherlands	2005	7	1
	2006	12	6
	2007	4	0
	2008	10	5
	2009	8	2
	2010	11	5
	2011	9	6
	2012	10	6
	2013	10	10
	2014	15	8
	2015	5	1
	2016	0	0
	2017	1	0
Total		102	50

Honours

 

With the Netherlands, Van Persie reached the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Feyenoord

• UEFA Cup: 2001–02^[158]
• KNVB Cup: 2017–18;^[6] runner-up: 2002–03^[159]
• Johan Cruyff Shield: 2018^[160]

Arsenal

• FA Cup: 2004–05^[161]
• FA Community Shield: 2004^[162]
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2005–06^[163]
• Football League Cup runner-up: 2010–11^[164]

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2012–13^[165]
• FA Community Shield: 2013^[166]

Fenerbahçe

• Turkish Cup runner-up: 2015–16^[167]

Netherlands

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010;^[126] third place: 2014^[138]

Individual

• Dutch Football Talent of the Year: 2001–02^[168]
• KNVB Best Young Talent Award: 2001–02^[169]
• Premier League Player of the Month: November 2005, October 2009, October 2011, December 2012, April 2013^[165]
• BBC Goal of the Month: September 2006, December 2008, December 2011, August 2012, April 2013
• Most assists in the Premier League: 2008–09 (shared)^[170]
• Premier League Golden Boot Landmark Award: 2011–12 (10 goals),^[171] 2011–12 (20 goals),^[172] 2011–12 (30 goals)^[173]
• Premier League Golden Boot: 2011–12, 2012–13^[165]
• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2011–12^[174]
• PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2012^[175]
• PFA Team of the Year: 2011–12 Premier League,^[176] 2012–13 Premier League^[177]
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 2011–12^[178]
• ESM Team of the Year: 2011–12^[179]
• Arsenal Player of the Season: 2008–09,^[180] 2011–12^[181]
• Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2012–13^[182]
• BBC Goal of the Season: 2012–13^[183]
• FIFA FIFPro World XI shortlist: 2011, 2012, 2013^[184]
• FIFA FIFPro World XI 2nd team: 2013^[185]
• Premier League 100 Club's Greatest Goal Award^[186]
• Netherlands all-time top goalscorer: 50 goals^[187]
• Manchester United Goal of the Season: April 2013 vs Aston Villa^[188]
• 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Top scorer (11 goals)^[189]
• FIFA Puskás Award^[190] (3rd place) 2014
• Eredivisie Player of the Month: August 2018^[191]

Records

Arsenal

• Most goals in a 38-game league season: 30 goals (in the Premier League, 2011–12)
• Most goals in a calendar year (35), 2011–12^[192]
• Most goals scored at the Emirates Stadium: (64)

Manchester United

• Only player to score two 90th-minute winning goals in the Premier League (shared with two players) 2012/13
• The third-fewest matches needed for a player to reach 15 goals (21 matches, behind only Ruud van Nistelrooy (19 matches), Dwight Yorke (20 matches)

Feyenoord

• The oldest player in Eredivisie history with two goals in a Klassieker (35 years, 174 days).^[193]

Premier League

• Most Premier League goals scored from the turn of the year to the end of the season (18) 2010/11 (shared with Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo)
• Number of teams scored against in a season: 17, joint record:
  • 20-team league:^[194]
    • Ian Wright (Arsenal, 1996–97)
    • Robin van Persie (Arsenal, 2011–12)
    • Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, 2017–18)
• Most consecutive away league matches scored in: 9, Robin van Persie (for Arsenal, 1 January 2011 to 22 May 2011)^[195]
• Most games scored in a Premier League season: (21), 2012/13 (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo)^[196]
• Highest goal scoring Dutch player in Premier League (144 goals)^[197]

International

• 2014 FIFA World Cup – Only player since 1966 to score with his left foot, right foot, and head, as well as scoring from a free kick and a penalty kick.^[139]
• Netherlands male national team all-time top scorer (50)

See also

• List of men's association football players with 50 or more international goals
• List of footballers with 100 or more caps

References

1. "Robin van Persie". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
2. (PDF). FIFA. 14 July 2014. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2020.
3. . Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 25 September 2004.
4. "The world's best footballers in 2013: Lionel Messi retains his crown". The Guardian. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
   "Ballon d'Or winners and the top 10 players each year since Luis Figo won in 2000". talksport.com. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
   "The world's best footballers: the top 100 list". The Guardian. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
5. X, Mr. "Analysing What Robin van Persie Brings to Manchester United". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
6. "Robin van Persie goal helps Feyenoord to Dutch Cup triumph". 22 April 2018.
7. Lloyd-Williams, Andy (2013). RVP: The Biography of Robin van Persie. London: John Blake Publishing. pp. 3–4. ISBN 978-1-78219-445-3.
8. "Netherlands - Player of the Year and Other Awards". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). 20 November 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
9. "Van Persie draait AGOVV dol en maakt vijf doelpunten". Trouw (in Dutch). 6 February 2003. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
10. Williams, Andy (27 September 2013). RVP - The Biography of Robin Van Persie. Kings Road Publishing. ISBN 9781782197133. Retrieved 3 January 2020 – via Google Books.
11. Northcroft, Jonathan (28 November 2004). . The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
12. Northcroft, Jonathan (19 February 2006). . The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
13. Johnson, William (21 January 2004). "Feyenoord slap £5m price tag on Van Persie". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
14. . The Guardian. 3 December 2005. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
15. Robin Van Persie Bio, Stats, News ESPN Soccernet
16. Bailey, Graeme. "Wenger delight with Robin". Sky Sports. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
17. "Arsenal sign Reyes for record fee". Newsround. 27 January 2004. Retrieved 30 November 2007.
18. "Arsenal 3-1 Man Utd". BBC. 8 August 2004. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
19. "Van Persie offers hope for the future". The Guardian. 28 October 2004. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
20. Warren, Dan (30 September 2006). "Charlton 1–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 15 October 2013.
21. . The Daily Telegraph. 26 February 2005. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
22. . ESPN Soccernet. 11 March 2005. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
23. "Arsenal 0-0 Man Utd (aet)". BBC. 21 May 2005. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
24. . 4TheGame. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
25. "Van Persie signs new Arsenal deal". BBC Sport. 6 January 2006. Retrieved 30 November 2007.
26. . ESPN Soccernet. 10 January 2006. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
27. "Barcelona 2–1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 17 May 2006. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
28. . Arsenal F.C. 30 September 2007. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
29. "Goal of the month". BBC Sport. 8 January 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2007.
30. . BBC Sport. 30 March 2007. Archived from the original on 14 September 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2007.
31. . Arsenal F.C. 20 October 2007. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
32. Bevan, Chris (12 December 2007). "Arsenal 2–1 Steaua Bucharest". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
33. Lawrence, Amy (31 August 2008). . The Observer. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
34. . Northampton Chronicle & Echo. 3 November 2008. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
35. "Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal". 30 November 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2020 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
36. . BBC Sport. 9 June 2009. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
37. . Arsenal F.C. 3 January 2009. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
38. . BBC Sport. 3 January 2009. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
39. . Arsenal F.C. 11 February 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
40. . FIFA. 24 February 2009. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
41. . Arsenal F.C. 13 July 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
42. . Arsenal F.C. 8 July 2009. Archived from the original on 11 July 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
43. . Arsenal F.C. 12 September 2009. Archived from the original on 14 September 2009.
44. "Van Persie claims player of month award". Premier League. 6 November 2009. from the original on 8 November 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
45. Ornstein, David (15 November 2009). "Arsenal hit by Van Persie injury". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
46. . Arsenal F.C. 20 July 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
47. "Birmingham 0-3 Arsenal". 1 January 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2020 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
48. Robin Van Persie joins Dutch goalscoring elite The National, 20 January 2011
49. Hughes, Ian (22 January 2011). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016.
50. Fletcher, Paul (5 February 2011). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016.
51. Hughes, Ian (12 February 2011). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012.
52. . Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 23 April 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
53. McNulty, Phil (16 February 2011). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012.
54. . Arsenal F.C. 4 May 2011. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
55. . Arsenal F.C. 16 August 2011. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
56. . BBC Sport. 16 October 2011. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
57. . ESPN Soccernet. 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
58. Clarke, Richard (29 October 2011). . Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
59. . Premier League. 19 November 2011. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
60. Clarke, Richard (23 November 2011). . Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
61. . Arsenal F.C. 3 December 2011. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
62. . Arsenal F.C. 10 December 2011. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
63. . Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
64. . Daily Mirror. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
65. . Sunday People. 5 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
66. . BBC Sport. 4 February 2012. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
67. McNulty, Phil (26 February 2012). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
68. "Home and away". Sky Sports. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
69. "Van Persie scores against 17 Premier League opponents in one season to match record set by Arsenal legend Ian Wright". goal.com. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
70. . ESPN Soccernet. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
71. . Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
72. . Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 27 June 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
73. "Robin van Persie will not sign new Arsenal contract". BBC Sport. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
74. Gaughan, Jack (18 August 2012). "Robin Van Persie: 'I listen to the little boy within – and he screamed Man United'". Retrieved 9 September 2012.
75. . Arsenal F.C. 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012.
76. Coppack, Nick (17 August 2012). . Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
77. "Robin van Persie in £24m move to Man Utd from Arsenal". BBC Sport. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
78. . BBC Sport. 20 September 2013. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
79. McNulty, Phil (20 August 2012). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
80. Crooks, Garth (25 August 2012). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
81. Magowan, Alistair (25 August 2012). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
82. Hassan, Nabil (2 September 2012). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
83. McNulty, Phil (9 December 2012). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013.
84. "Stoke 0–2 Man Utd". BBC Sport. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
85. "Robin van Persie suffers bizarre hip injury against QPR". BBC Sport. 23 February 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
86. Jolly, Richard (1 March 2013). "RVP fit, Jones 'fighting' for Real tie". ESPN FC. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
87. Hughes, Jim (23 November 2013). "Lionel Messi hails Robin van Persie the "complete player" and Mesut Ozil as Germany's best". mirror.
88. Bevan, Chris (22 April 2013). "Man Utd 3–0 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
89. . Manchester United F.C. 15 May 2013. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
90. . Premier League. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
91. Burt, Jason (17 August 2013). . The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
92. "Van Persie hat-trick salvages United's season". Reuters. 19 March 2014.
93. "Leicester 5–3 Man Utd". BBC Sport. 21 September 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
94. "Man Utd 2–1 West Ham". BBC Sport. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
95. "Man Utd 1–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
96. . Channel NewsAsia. 27 October 2014. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
97. "Robin van Persie: Man Utd striker to miss Ballon d'Or ceremony". BBC Sport. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
98. "Robin van Persie: Louis van Gaal strips striker of penalties". BBC Sport. 3 May 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
99. "Robin van Persie: Fenerbahce striker not bitter at Man Utd exit". BBC Sport. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
100. "Fenerbahce say Robin van Persie joined from Man United for £3.84m". ESPN FC. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
101. "Fenerbahçe'nin yeni 10 numarası Robin van Persie!". Habertürk. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
102. "Champions League roundup: Van Persie and Nani draw blank for Fenerbahce". The Guardian. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
103. "Van Persie handed Super Lig debut as Fenerbahce cruise". FourFourTwo. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
104. "Atromitos Athens 0–1 Fenerbahçe". BBC Sport. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
105. . Today's Zaman. 24 August 2015. Archived from the original on 26 August 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
106. "Robin van Persie returns to boyhood club Feyenoord". Sky Sports. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
107. "Robin van Persie hits 300 career goals; four of his best strikes". ESPN. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
108. "Robin van Persie scores in Dutch Cup final interrupted by flares and fireworks". BBC Sport. 22 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
109. "Robin van Persie: Ex-Arsenal and Manchester United forward to retire at end of season". BBC Sport. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
110. "Van Persie hattrickheld tegen FC Emmen" (in Dutch). 3 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
111. "Feyenoord 0 - 2 ADO Den Haag". BBC. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
112. Rotterdam, Feyenoord [@Feyenoord] (10 May 2019). "Robin van Persie speelt zondag officieel zijn laatste wedstrijd als profvoetballer. // Van Bronckhorst: 'Hij kan zondag genieten van het moment, een prachtige afsluiting van zijn carrière' // #RVPLegend #feyadopic.twitter.com/EEZBmCnP1C" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 January 2020 – via Twitter.
113. Netherlands World Cup Blog
114. . ITV Sport, World Cup 2006. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
115. . Soccerbase.com. 4 June 2005. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
116. . Soccerbase.com. 8 June 2005. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
117. "Games played by Robin van Persie in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
118. . Soccerbase.com. 16 June 2006. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
119. . Soccerbase.com. 11 June 2006. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
120. . Soccerbase.com. 2 September 2006. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
121. Classy Russia squeeze out Oranje, UEFA, 22 June 2008
122. "Van Marwijk trims Dutch squad to 27". Agence France-Presse. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
123. . guardian.co.uk. Press Association. 27 May 2010. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
124. . FIFA. 14 June 2010. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
125. Bevan, Chris (24 June 2010). "Cameroon 1–2 Netherlands". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
126. . FIFA. 11 July 2010. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015.
127. Scholten, Berend (2 September 2011). "San Marino on the end of record Netherlands win". UEFA.com. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
128. . Berend Scholten on UEFA.com. 16 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
129. Shearingham, Sam (13 June 2012). . BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
130. . FIFA. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
131. "Holland boss Louis van Gaal explains move to axe Wesley Sneijder as captain". Sky Sports. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
132. "Dutch record breaker Van Persie hits treble in 8–1 win". Reuters. 11 October 2013.
133. "Spain 1–5 Netherlands". BBC Sport. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
134. . FIFA. 28 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
135. . Archived from the original on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
136. Sanghera, Mandeep (18 June 2014). "Australia 2–3 Netherlands". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
137. "Netherlands 0–0 Costa Rica". BBC Sport. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
138. "Brazil 0–3 Netherlands". BBC Sport. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
139. "On This Day In 2014: Robin Van Persie Scored The Greatest Header In World Cup History". 13 June 2018.
140. "Arjen Robben replaces Robin van Persie as new Netherlands captain". ESPN FC. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
141. "Honderdste interland voor invaller Van Persie" [Hundredth game for substitute Van Persie]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 10 October 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
142. "Netherlands 2–3 Czech Rep". BBC Sport. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
143. "Van Persie keert als spitsentrainer terug bij Feyenoord" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
144. "VRobin van Persie officieel in dienst bij Feyenoord" (in Dutch). Feyenoord. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
145. "UK News, World News and Opinion". The Times. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
146. Mirror.co.uk (16 June 2005). "RAPE-CLAIM ARSENAL STAR: I WAS IN HOTEL ROOM WITH THAT GIRL". Daily Mirror.
147. Vissers, Willem (8 June 2008). "Robin van Persie: "Still too emotional at times"". Retrieved 8 September 2017.
148. . Goal.com. 17 November 2010. Archived from the original on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
149. Van Persie denies dive before free-kick goal YouTube, 1 January 2011
150. Holland 2–1 Ivory Coast BBC Sport, 16 June 2006
151. Tighe, Sam (26 October 2012). "9 Best False Nines in World Football History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
152. Tighe, Sam (8 October 2013). "Complete Guide to the False 9 and Who Plays It Best". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
153. "How Beckham. Van Persie, Xavi and Nani created adidas' new Predator Lethal Zones". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 8 September 2014
154. "adidas adizero f50 leading the way as top scoring football boot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil". adidas.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014
155. "R. van Persie: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
156. "Robin Van Persie". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
157. "Football player: Robin van Persie". EU-football.info. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
158. "Full Time Report" (PDF). UEFA.com. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
159. "Robin van Persie - Soccerway". us.soccerway.com.
160. "PSV vs. Feyenoord - 4 August 2018 - Soccerway". us.soccerway.com.
161. Lawrence, Amy (22 May 2005). "Vieira holds his nerve to claim historic penalty prize for Arsenal". The Observer. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
162. "Reyes lights up Shield". The Football Association. 8 August 2004. Archived from the original on 17 August 2004. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
163. "Barcelona 2–1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 17 May 2006. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
164. McNulty, Phil (27 February 2011). "Arsenal 1–2 Birmingham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
165. "Robin van Persie: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
166. Rostance, Tom (11 August 2013). "Man Utd 2–0 Wigan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
167. "Galatasaray vs. Fenerbahce - 26 May 2016 - Soccerway". us.soccerway.com.
168. "Netherlands – Player of the Year and Other Awards". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 29 March 2015.
169. "Dutch master fits the Manchester United picture". Manchestereveningnews. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
170. "Premier League Player Stats - Assists". premierleague.com. Retrieved 1 June 2022. Select season in the "Filter by season" drop-down menu.
171. . Arsenal F.C. 4 November 2011. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
172. . Premier League. 10 February 2012. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
173. "Robin Van Persie Biography, Personal life, Honors & wallpapers". Footballwood. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
174. O'Rourke, Pete (22 April 2012). "Van Persie takes PFA prize". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
175. "Arsenal striker Robin van Persie wins PFA fans' player of the year". The Independent. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
176. "Arsenal striker Robin van Persie named PFA Player of the Year". BBC Sport. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
177. "Gareth Bale wins PFA Player of Year and Young Player awards". BBC Sport. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
178. "Arsenal's Robin van Persie named FWA Footballer of the Year". BBC. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
179. "Eén landgenoot in ESM Elftal van het Seizoen" (in Dutch). ElfVoetbal.nl. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
180. "Arsenal FC Player of the Year Award Winners". MFF. 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
181. . Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
182. Tuck, James; Marshall, Adam (15 May 2013). "Van Persie wins fans' award". Manchester United F.C. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
183. "BBC Goal of the Season from 1970–71 to Present". My Football Facts. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
184. "FIFPro World Players' Union". FIFPro World Players' Union. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
185. "FifPro announces reserve Teams of the Year - but Luis Suarez and Arjen Robben won't be laughing while Iker Casillas is somehow named the second best goalkeeper of 2013". The Independent. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
186. "Van Persie awarded 100 Club's Greatest Goal". www.premierleague.com. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
187. "Historie". OnsOranje.nl (in Dutch). OnsOranje. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
188. "Robin scoops goal prize". Manchester United F.C. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
189. Chambers, Miles. "Van Persie breaks Netherlands goal record - Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
190. Sunderland, Tom. "FIFA Puskas Award 2014: Voting Results and Reaction for James Rodriguez's Goal". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
191. "Robin van Persie receives first Eredivisie Player of the Month trophy | Eredivisie". eredivisie.nl. 13 September 2018.
192. "PREMIER LEAGUE: van Persie breaks Henry record as Arsenal edge QPR - Tribal Football". www.tribalfootball.com. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
193. "Feyenoord's spirit decisive in 6-2 Klassieker victory – Van Persie - AOL". www.AOL.co.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
194. "Salah 'proud' to set new Premier League mark". Premier League. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
195. "Numbers game". Sky Sports. 24 May 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
196. "Squawka - The Home of Football News, Analysis, Opinion & Stats". Squawka. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
197. "The 6 Highest Scoring Dutch Players in Premier League History". 90min.com. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2019.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robin van Persie.

• Official website  
• – FIFA competition record (archived)  
• Robin van Persie at WorldFootball.net  
• Robin van Persie's statistics for the Netherlands Voetbalstats.NL (in Dutch)
• Robin van Persie at Soccerbase  
• Robin van Persie at Wereld van Oranje (in Dutch)  
• Robin van Persie at the Turkish Football Federation