Robin van Persie

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 41)[2]
Place of birth Rotterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Heerenveen (head coach)
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
2024– Heerenveen
Medal record
Representing  Netherlands
Men's football
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up 2010 South Africa
Third place 2014 Brazil
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robin van Persie (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɔbɪɱ vɑm ˈpɛrsi] ; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who is the head coach of Eredivisie club Heerenveen. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation[4] and was known for his technique, ball control, and vision.[5] Van Persie is the all-time top scorer for the men's Netherlands national team.

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 mainstay 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 recorded over 100 caps and scored 50 goals for the Netherlands, and from 2013 to 2015 served as the team's captain. He represented his country at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, and the 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championships, reaching the final in 2010 and finishing third place in 2014 at the former tournament.

  1. ^ "Robin van Persie". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  2. ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of Players: Netherlands" (PDF). FIFA. 14 July 2014. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Robin van Persie". 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.