Robin van Persie
(born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for
Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord.
Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16
August 2011. His playing style and ability have drawn comparison to
Dutch legend Marco van Basten.
The son of two artists, Van Persie was encouraged to follow in his parents' footsteps, but he instead preferred football and joined SBV Excelsior's youth squad. He made his breakthrough at his hometown club Feyenoord, where he spent three seasons and won the 2002 UEFA Cup. He was named the Dutch Football Talent of the Year for the 2001–02 season. Disagreements with manager Bert van Marwijk culminated in a change of club and Van Persie moved to Premier League side Arsenal for £2.75 million in 2004 as a long-term replacement for Dennis Bergkamp. He won the FA Community Shield and the FA Cup in his first season with the London club and went on to win the 2006 Rotterdam Sportsman of the year award. Van Persie has been named Premier League Player of the Month three times. Van Persie topped the goal assists leader board with 11 assists in the 2008–09 Premier League.
Van Persie was a Dutch youth international, having represented the Netherlands under-17, under-19 and under-21 sides. He made his senior international debut in 2005 in a friendly match against Romania. One month later, he netted his first senior international goal in a 4–0 win over Finland. Van Persie has 62 caps so far and has scored 25 goals for the Netherlands. He has participated in the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups and UEFA Euro 2008, including a World Cup Final in which he lost.
