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| image = [[Image:Vanpersie.jpg|200px]]
| image = [[Image:Vanpersie.jpg|200px]]
| fullname = Robin van Persie
| fullname = Robin van Persie
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=2}}<ref>[http://es.euro2008.uefa.com/tournament/players/player=53130/index.html 7 - Robin van Persie], es.euro2008.uefa.com. Retrieved [[September 19]] [[2008]].</ref>
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=2}}<ref>{{cite news |title=PFA Profile|url=http://www.givemefootball.com/player-profiles/robin-van-persie|publisher=PFA |date=2008-11-04 |accessdate=2008-11-04 }}</ref><ref>[http://es.euro2008.uefa.com/tournament/players/player=53130/index.html 7 - Robin van Persie], es.euro2008.uefa.com. Retrieved [[September 19]] [[2008]].</ref>
| dateofbirth = {{birth date and age|1983|8|6}}
| dateofbirth = {{birth date and age|1983|8|6}}
| cityofbirth = [[Rotterdam]]
| cityofbirth = [[Rotterdam]]

Revision as of 12:52, 4 November 2008

Robin van Persie
File:Vanpersie.jpg
Personal information
Full name Robin van Persie
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1][2]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Left winger
Second striker
Team information
Current team
 Arsenal
Number 11
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:41, 31 August 2008 (UTC)

Robin van Persie (born August 6 1983) is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League team Arsenal and the Dutch national team. Born in Rotterdam to artistic parents, Van Persie was encouraged to become an artist, but instead preferred football, joining SBV Excelsior's youth squad in 2001. He left to join Feyenoord, where he made his breakthrough and spent three years of his career, and won a 2002 UEFA Cup winners' medal. In 2004, he moved to England, signing for Arsenal for £3 million, under the management of Arsène Wenger. He immediately won the FA Community Shield, and the following summer won the FA Cup with Arsenal.

Van Persie has also been capped by the Netherlands national side on 32 occasions, scoring ten goals. He has represented his country at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2008 European Championships.

Biography

Robin van Persie was raised in the Kralingen section of east Rotterdam. His mother, José Ras, was a painter, and his father, Bob, a sculptor.[3] He has two sisters, Lilly and Kiki.[4] He was frequently encouraged to become involved in the arts like his parents, but he gravitated toward football instead.

Club career

Early career

Van Persie joined Dutch side SBV Excelsior's youth squad in 2001, but left due to conflicts with the coaching staff and signed for Feyenoord.[5] 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 fifteen total starts. He was awarded 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, but clashes with manager Bert van Marwijk saw van Persie demoted to the reserve squad. During a 2003 match featuring the Feyenoord and Ajax reserves, he was one of several Feyenoord players assaulted by hooligans who had invaded the pitch.[5] He finished the season with the first team, making a total of twenty-eight appearances and scoring eight goals, in addition to finishing as runner-up in the Dutch Cup. However, van Persie was sent home on the eve of the 2003 UEFA Super Cup final against Real Madrid by van Marwijk, who was reportedly displeased with van Persie's body language after being asked to warm up for a recent league game.[3]

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 in 2003–04, 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. Arsenal F.C. made a move to sign van Persie during the January 2004 transfer window, but both parties could not agree to terms. Five months later, a deal was finalized.

Arsenal

On May 17 2004, Van Persie moved to Arsenal for a fee believed to be in the range of £3 million. He signed a deal which would keep him at The Gunners for four years.[6] Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said of Van Persie, "He can play on the left side of midfield, as a creative player behind the main strikers or as a target man".[7] He was also touted by many as a long-term replacement of Dennis Bergkamp.[5] Arsenal had recently signed another young forward, in the way of Spanish striker José Antonio Reyes,[8] which led to hot competition for places. Despite this, the young Dutchman immediately made his debut as a substitute for the team in the 3–1 FA Community Shield victory over Manchester United on August 8 2004.[9]

Van Persie with Thierry Henry

Van Persie spent most of his time on the bench during earlier parts of the 2004–05 season, though quickly he earned his competitive debut against Manchester City in the League Cup. On October 27, he scored Arsenal's opening goal in the game to secure a 2–1 win.[10] After a run in the first team, February saw his season take a turn for the worse, as he was sent off against Southampton which consequently cost Arsenal two points, and caused Wenger to display uncharacteristic anger in public with a player.[11] It looked as if Van Persie had cemented his place on the bench. However, Van Persie redoubled his efforts in training during his subsequent suspension, and was reintroduced in to the team when injuries to Thierry Henry forced Wenger's hand. His return to the first team saw him score numerous goals, including two important goals in the FA Cup semi-final against Blackburn Rovers to secure victory for Arsenal. He also scored the vital breakthrough goal against West Bromwich Albion to help Arsenal secure second place in the Premiership after the Albion defence had proved difficult to break down. Continuing to enjoy good form, his season was interrupted again as he suffered an injury. Despite this, he managed to score 10 goals in 40 appearances in his first season with Arsenal.[12]

The summer which followed saw Robin van Persie receive his first full international Dutch cap[13] against Romania on June 4 2005. Van Persie was subbed on during the second half of the game, helping Holland to a 2–0 win.[14] Four days later, Van Persie played for Holland against Finland. Again, he was used as a second half substitute, but he also managed Holland's fourth goal of the game, sealing a 4–0 victory for his country.[15]

Van Persie against Chelsea in 2008

Van Persie scored in the first game of the 2005–06 season and he continued to show good form, winning the prestigious Player of the Month award in November after scoring six goals in just four starts.[3] He suffered from a brief knee injury over the Christmas period,[16] but on January 4, 2006, his good form was rewarded in the form of a five-year contract extension until 2011.[17] He finished the season having played in 38 games, and despite largely being used as a substitute, he scored 11 goals. Van Persie became known as a rare player who could make a goal out of nothing.[12]

Van Persie begun the 2006–07 season in great form. Among numerous goals, he scored an outstanding airborne volley against Charlton Athletic,[18] which turned out to be BBC's Goal of the Month.[19] Another notable contribution was made during the 2–1 loss to Fulham FC, in which Van Persie scored a powerful free kick from 30 yards. His good form continued for Holland during the Euro 2008 qualifiers too, as he helped his country to a 1–0 win against Luxembourg on September 2.[20] He also scored Holland's first goal during their 2–1 win against Albania on October 11.[21] These impressive performances led to Van Persie being named Rotterdam Sportsman of the year for 2006. Van Persie continued to illustrate his importance to Arsenal after an impressive run during the Christmas period, in which he scored five goals in four games. However, his season was soon ended by injury. In a match against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on 21 January 2007, Van Persie came on as a substitute and scored the equalizer in the 84th minute. Though in doing so, he fractured his fifth metatarsal in his right foot while celebrating; an injury that kept him out for the remainder the end of the season. Despite this, he finished as Arsenal's top scorer for the season with 13 goals in 30 appearances.[22]

Van Persie in an Arsenal training shirt

Following the departure of Arsenal star striker Thierry Henry prior to the 2007–08 season, Van Persie was expected to assume the role as the main striker of the club. He showed good form in the pre-season Emirates Cup, scoring the winning goal in Arsenal's 2–1 victory over Internazionale, a goal described by one journalist as "of sublime execution".[23] He also scored the winning goal against Ajax in the Amsterdam Tournament. Arsenal won 1–0 and lifted the Amsterdam Cup. Following this, he scored in a flurry of games, quickly becoming Arsenal's most important player. In the opening game of the season, Van Persie scored a late penalty to equalize the score against Fulham. In their next premier league match versus Blackburn Rovers he scored another goal. He also snatched a goal in Arsenal's 1–0 victory over Steau. After scoring a perfect header at Upton Park he broke Arsenal's deadlock against West Ham. He later went on to score two against Sunderland. One of them was a sublime freekick. He later scored seven goals in 10 games, but he was again struck by a knee injury after falling awkwardly while on international duty with Holland.[24] The injury kept him out for two months, and he eventually made his comeback against Steaua Bucharest on December 12 2007, setting up Arsenal's second in the process.[25] He then came on in the next game against Chelsea F.C. and had a goal disallowed. It was then confirmed that he would be out for a few more weeks. He made yet another come back in the 1–1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur but it was clear he was not match fit, and was substituted at half-time. He returned to first team action against Wigan Athletic on March 9 2008, coming on in the second half for Nicklas Bendtner. After the injury, van Persie finally scored a goal from the penalty spot against Bolton Wanderers F.C. at the Reebok Stadium. The match ended with Arsenal winning 3–2. He then scored another goal at Pride Park against Derby County. The match ended with Arsenal winning 6–2. The new season began with van Persie on the bench against West Brom. Following a 1–0 win Arsenal and van Persie showed a poor display and thus lost to Fulham. In the next game, van Persie opened his account with a fine brace against Newcastle. His form showed no mercy against Blackburn opening in the 8th minute of a 4–0 win. That marked the 8th goal in 6 games against Blackburn.

Although the Gunners fell to Hull City on 27 September, Robin managed to help Arsenal redeem themselves with two fine finishes in the 4–0 romp at home against Porto in the Champions League three days later. On 29 October, he scored his 50th goal for Arsenal in the 4–4 draw with rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium.

International career

2006 World Cup

Van Persie (top) and Ruud van Nistelrooy in training prior to Euro 2008

Despite not being an automatic first choice to start for Arsenal, Van Persie was selected as one of the Netherlands' forwards for the 2006 FIFA World Cup by national coach Marco Van Basten. Though Holland were eliminated after four games in the tournament, Van Persie played in each match, [26] even managing a goal in the group match against Côte d'Ivoire,[27] a free kick in the 23rd minute.

Euro 2008

On June 13, Van Persie came on as a 55th minute substitute in the Netherlands second Group C match, a 4–1 victory over World Cup finalists France. Within four minutes he had scored to make the game 2–0 for his team after a pirouette and twirl from Ruud van Nistelrooy unleashed a run up the flank from 46th minute substitute Arjen Robben. On June 17, Van Persie was named starter for the group stage closing match against Romania. In the 87th minute, he picked up an elevated pass from the right flank provided by Demy de Zeeuw, passed over Romania's Cosmin Contra and netted a fine close-range volley with his left foot.[28]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. June 08, 2005 Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland  Finland 0–4 0–4 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2. June 16, 2006 Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart, Germany  Ivory Coast 0–1 1–2 2006 FIFA World Cup
3. August 16, 2006 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland  Republic of Ireland 0–4 0–4 Friendly match
4. September 6, 2006 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands  Belarus 1–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
5. September 6, 2006 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands  Belarus 2–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
6. October 7, 2006 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Bulgaria 1–1 1–1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
7. October 11, 2006 Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands  Albania 1–0 2–1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
8. June 13, 2008 Stade de Suisse, Bern, Switzerland  France 2–0 4–1 UEFA Euro 2008
9. June 17, 2008 Stade de Suisse, Bern, Switzerland  Romania 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2008
10. August 20, 2008 Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow, Russia  Russia 0–1 1-1 Friendly match
Van Persie (right) with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ruud van Nistelrooy

Personal life

Robin van Persie is married to his wife Bouchra. They have one child together, a boy named Shaqueel, born on November 16 2006. They live in Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire.[5]

On June 13 2005, while in Rotterdam with the Dutch national team for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, Van Persie was arrested on suspicion of rape by Dutch police.[29] Former Miss Nigeria Holland Sandra Krijgsman claimed she was attacked by Van Persie on Saturday June 11 in a hotel. He was held for 14 nights in prison while the police investigated the allegations made against him[30] but was then released without charge, though he was still under suspicion.[31] In February 2006, the case against Van Persie was completely dismissed by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service after they completed their investigations. The prosecution stated, after a thorough investigation, that no sexual contact with coercion happened.[32] Van Persie spoke of his ordeal several months later, saying how degrading the experience was and how he was treated like a criminal despite the fact he was completely innocent. He revealed that conditions in the prison were so hot that they caused him to lose consciousness. It also emerged that over 200 Rotterdam police officers had attempted to view his case files, with the vast majority of them unauthorised to do so.[33]

Career statistics

Club performance[7]
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Feyenoord 2001–02 8 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 15 0 0
2002–03 23 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 25 9 0
2003–04 28 6 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 31 6 0
Feyenoord total 71 15 ?
Arsenal 2004–05 26 5 1 9 4 0 6 1 0 41 10 1
2005–06 24 5 1 7 4 0 7 2 0 38 11 1
2006–07 22 11 7 1 0 0 8 2 1 31 13 8
2007–08 15 7 3 1 0 0 7 2 2 23 9 5
2008–09 9 5 3 0 0 0 3 2 2 12 7 5
Arsenal total 145 50 20
Career total 216 65 20

(Club statistics correct as of 30 October 2008)

International performance[34]
National team Season Apps Goals
The Netherlands 2004–05 2 1
2005–06 12 1
2006–07 5 5
2007–08 8 2
Total 27 9

(International statistics correct as of June 14, 2008)

Career awards and honours

Club

Individual

References

  1. ^ "PFA Profile". PFA. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  2. ^ 7 - Robin van Persie, es.euro2008.uefa.com. Retrieved September 19 2008.
  3. ^ a b c Young Gunner, timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved September 19 2008.
  4. ^ Robin Van Persie Bio, tv.com. Retrieved November 16 2007.
  5. ^ a b c d "Young man's game". Sunday Times.
  6. ^ Arsenal win the race to capture £3m Van Persie, Independent Online Edition, April 29 2004. Retrieved on 1 December 2007.
  7. ^ a b Robin van Persie - History, soccernet.espn.go.com, accessed 29 September 2007.
  8. ^ CBBC Newsround, Arsenal sign Reyes for record fee, January 27 2004. Retrieved on November 30 2007.
  9. ^ BBC Sport, Arsenal 3-1 Man Utd, August 8, 2004. Retrieved on November 30 2007.
  10. ^ Man City 1-2 Arsenal, BBC Sport, October 27 2004. Retrieved on November 30 2007.
  11. ^ Southampton 1-1 Arsenal, BBC Sport, February 26 2005. Retrieved on November 30.
  12. ^ a b 4thegame Profile, retrieved on November 30.
  13. ^ 17 Robin van Persie Holland Stats, ITV Sport, World Cup 2006. Retrieved on December 11 2007.
  14. ^ Soccerbase stats for Romania vs. Holland game
  15. ^ Soccerbase stats for Finland vs. Holland game
  16. ^ Arsenal face Van Persie concern, December 22 2005. Retrieved on November 30.
  17. ^ Van Persie signs new Arsenal deal, BBC Sport, January 6 2006. Retrieved on November 30 2007.
  18. ^ Wenger: 'Winner was the goal of a lifetime', Arsenal.com, September 30 2007. Retrieved on December 10 2007.
  19. ^ Goal of the month, BBC SPORT, January 8 2007. Retrieved December 8 2007.
  20. ^ Soccerbase stats for Luxembourg vs. Holland
  21. ^ Soccerbase stats for Albania vs. Holland
  22. ^ "Van Persie set to sit out season". BBC Sport. Retrieved March 30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ Sky Sports - Magic man Van seals win
  24. ^ Van Persie could be sidelined for a month, Arsenal.com, October 20, 2007. Retrieved on November 30, 2007.
  25. ^ Arsenal 2–1 Steaua Bucharest, BBC SPORT, December 12, 2007. Retrieved on December 12, 2007.
  26. ^ Soccerbase stats for Van Persie's World Cup (see bottom of list)
  27. ^ Soccerbase stats for Holland's 2006 World Cup game against Ivory Coast
  28. ^ "Gespeelde wedstrijden". KNVB. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
  29. ^ Arsenal star held over rape claim, BBC News, June 14 2007. Retrieved on November 17 2007.
  30. ^ Rape quiz Arsenal star still held, BBC News, June 16 2007. Retrieved on November 17 2007.
  31. ^ Rape claim Arsenal star released, BBC News, June 27 2007. Retrieved on November 18 2007.
  32. ^ Van Persie no longer rape suspect | FOOTBALL | SPORT | tvnz.co.nz
  33. ^ "More than 200 officers in Rotterdam attempted to peak at the digital file compiled on Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.", Telegraaf, October 12 2005 Template:Nl
  34. ^ Robin van Persie statistics from voetbalstats.nl. Retrieved on 2007-11-15

Template:Commons2

Awards
Preceded by Dutch Football Talent of the Year
2001 – 2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Rotterdam Sportsman of the Year
2006 		Succeeded by


Template:Persondata

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