Profile RVP

Personal information

Full name : Robin van Persie

Date of birth : 6 August 1983

Place of birth : Rotterdam, Netherlands

Height : 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)

Playing position : Striker

Current club : Arsenal

Number : 10

Youth career :

Excelsior

Feyenoord

Senior career :

Feyenoord

Arsenal

National team :

Netherlands

Club career Feyenoord Van Persie joined Dutch side SBV Excelsior's youth squad at the age of 4, but left at the age of 16 due to conflicts with the coaching staff and signed for Feyenoord. He was quickly promoted into the first team due to injury problems among the squad, and made his debut for the club at seventeen, which was the first of 15 total starts. He received the KNVB Best Young Talent award at the end of the 2001–02 season. He signed a professional three-and-a-half year deal with Feyenoord at the start of the next season, and scored five goals in a 6–1 Amstel Cup thrashing of AGOVV on 6 February 2003.However, clashes with manager Bert van Marwijk saw Van Persie demoted to the reserve squad, and an irate Van Marwijk told reporters, "His behaviour made it impossible for him to remain in the squad any longer so he will join the reserve side for the time being." During a match featuring the Feyenoord and Ajax reserves, he was one of several Feyenoord players assaulted by hooligans who had invaded the pitch. 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 reportedly displeased with Van Persie's body language upon his being asked to warm up for a recent league game.[3] Van Persie finished his tumultuous debut season on the first team, making a total of 28 appearances and scoring eight goals, in addition to finishing runner-up in the KNVB Cup. Feyenoord unsuccessfully attempted to extend Van Persie's contract during the offseason, and his deteriorating relationship with Van Marwijk led to his spending most of 2003–04 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. Both parties could not agree to terms, and five months later, a deal was finalized and Van Persie was sold to Arsenal for £2.75 million, just over half of Feyenoord's original asking price of £5 million. Arsenal On 17 May 2004, Van Persie signed a four-year deal with Arsenal.[9] Manager Arsène Wenger, who planned to convert Van Persie from a left winger to a center forward as he had successfully done with star player Thierry Henry