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Robin van Persie

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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, 19 November 2008 (UTC)

Robin van Persie (born August 6 1983 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Arsenal F.C. and the Dutch national team. 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 in 2001. He made his breakthrough at hometown club Feyenoord, where he spent three seasons and won the 2002 UEFA Cup. In 2004, he moved to England and signed with Arsenal, with whom he promptly won the FA Community Shield, and the FA Cup.

Van Persie has 32 caps and ten goals with the Netherlands, and participated in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2008 UEFA 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

Feyenoord

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 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 February 6, 2003.[6] 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."[7] During a match featuring the Feyenoord and Ajax reserves, he was one of several Feyenoord players assaulted by hooligans who had invaded the pitch.[5] Van Persie's rift with van Marwijk continued when he was sent home on the eve of the 2003 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 twenty-eight 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 2004 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.[8][5]

Arsenal

On May 17 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,[10] 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."[11] Arsenal had further padded their stable of strikers by signing Spanish forward José Antonio Reyes,[12] leaving the two to battle for playing time, but Van Persie was the first to make his team debut, and win a trophy in the process, as he came on as a substitute in the 3–1 FA Community Shield victory over Manchester United on August 8 2004.[13]

Van Persie with Thierry Henry

Van Persie spent most of his time on the bench during earlier parts of the 2004–05 season, and made his competitive debut on October 27, 2004 by scoring Arsenal's opening goal in a 2-1 League Cup win over Manchester City F.C..[14] However, he was sent off for the first time in an Arsenal uniform on February 26, 2005 during a 1-1 road draw with Southampton, following a lunge at left back Graeme Le Saux,[15] for which the mild-mannered Wenger was seen yelling an obscenity at van Persie on 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."[16] Van Persie was consequently benched for a number of games, starting with Arsenal's upcoming FA Cup replay against Sheffield United,[17] 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 FA Cup semi-final win over Blackburn Rovers. Van Persie's season was then cut short by injury, but he finished with ten goals in 40 appearances.[18]

Van Persie against Chelsea in 2008

Van Persie's ongoing form earned him the Player of the Month award for November after eight goals in eight starts,[10][3] and he was rewarded with a five-year contract extension until 2011 on January 4, 2006.[19] However, two days after signing the contract, van Persie was again wracked with injury after an opponent stepped on his foot and broke his toe during an FA Cup match against Cardiff.[20] 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 Premiership match against West Ham United on February 1.[3] He was an unused substitute in Arsenal's first Champions League final appearance, a 2-1 loss to FC Barcelona.[21]

The beginning of the the 2006–07 season included an airborne volley against Charlton Athletic that Wenger called "the goal of a lifetime"[22][dead link] and was later named BBC's Goal of the Month for September,[23] and he capped off the calendar year by being named the 2006 Rotterdam Sportsman of the Year. However, his season ended early for the second time in his career on January 21, 2007, when he fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot while celebrating his late equalizer in a match against Manchester United. He finished with a team-leading thirteen goals.[24]

Van Persie in an Arsenal training shirt

After Henry departed for Barcelona prior to the 2007–08 season, Van Persie assumed the role as Arsenal's main striker. He got off to a good start by scoring the winning goal in Arsenal's 2–1 preseason Emirates Cup victory over Internazionale, and doing likewise in a 1-0 Amsterdam Cup win over AFC Ajax. 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.[25] He made his comeback in Arsenal's Champions League group stage win over FC Steaua Bucharest on December 12,[26] and returned to domestic first-team action against Wigan Athletic on March 9 as a second-half substitute. His first goal since his return was a penalty in a 3-2 win against Bolton Wanderers.

Van Persie opened his 2008-09 account on August 31 with a brace in Arsenal's 3-0 league victory over Newcastle United.[27] On 29 October, he scored his fiftieth career Arsenal goal in a 4–4 home draw with North London derby rivals Tottenham Hotspur, but was hit with his first red card of the season on November 1 after knocking down goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen with a shoulder charge in a 2-1 loss to Stoke City. Sorensen later admitted to "teasing" van Persie in an attempt to provoke a reaction.[28]

International career

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

Van Persie earned his first caps for the Netherlands in less than the span of a week, first in a 2-0 2006 World Cup qualifying win over Romania on June 4, 2005,[29][30] and in another qualifier four days later against Finland, which saw him pick up his first international goal in a 4-0 victory.[31]

2006 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 Côte d'Ivoire via a free kick as the Oranje were eliminated in the round of sixteen.[32][33]

Euro 2008

Van Persie scored a team-best four Euro 2008 qualifying goals,[34][35] 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. On June 13, 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. He finished with two goals as the Netherlands finished atop their group but again suffered a round-of-sixteen elimination.[36]

Personal life

Van Persie and his Dutch-Moroccan wife Bouchra have one son, Shaqueel, who was born on November 16 2006. They live in Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire.[5]

2005 rape allegation

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 after former Miss Nigeria Holland Sandra Krijgsman claimed that he had attacked her two days earlier in a hotel.[37] He spent two weeks in prison while the police investigated Krijgsman's allegations,[38] and was then released because it was deemed unnecessary by the courts to keep him detained, though he remained a suspect.[39]

In February 2006, the case 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.[40] Van Persie publicly spoke of his imprisonment several months later, describing it as a degrading experience and claiming he was treated like a criminal despite his innocence. He revealed that conditions in the prison were so hot that they caused him to lose consciousness.[citation needed] An October 2005 report emerged that over two hundred Rotterdam police officers had attempted to view his case files, despite the vast majority of them being unauthorised to do so.[41]

Career statistics

Club performance[11]
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 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
11. November 19, 2008 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands  Norway 1–0 3–1 Friendly match
12. November 19, 2008 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands  Norway 2–0 3–1 Friendly match
International performance[42]
National team Season Apps Goals
The Netherlands 2004–05 2 1
2005–06 12 1
2006–07 5 5
2007–08 9 5
Total 33 12

(International statistics correct as of 19 November 2008)

Honours

Feyenoord

Arsenal

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 d 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. ^ FEYENOORD DRINK FROM CUP OF CHEER - feyenoord.com, 2/6/03. Retrieved on 11/9/08.
  7. ^ Take care with Persie - The Sun Sport, 4/29/04. Retrieved on 11/9/08.
  8. ^ Feyenoord slap £5m price tag on Van Persie - The Telegraph, 1/20/04. Retrieved on 11/9/08.
  9. ^ Arsenal win the race to capture £3m Van Persie, Independent Online Edition, April 29 2004. Retrieved on 1 December 2007.
  10. ^ a b Van Persie hits spot for Wenger - The Guardian, 12/3/05. Retrieved on 11/9/08.
  11. ^ a b Robin van Persie - History, soccernet.espn.go.com, accessed 29 September 2007.
  12. ^ CBBC Newsround, Arsenal sign Reyes for record fee, January 27 2004. Retrieved on November 30 2007.
  13. ^ BBC Sport, Arsenal 3-1 Man Utd, August 8, 2004. Retrieved on November 30 2007.
  14. ^ Man City 1-2 Arsenal, BBC Sport, October 27 2004. Retrieved on November 30 2007.
  15. ^ Southampton 1-1 Arsenal, BBC Sport, February 26 2005. Retrieved on November 30.
  16. ^ Brain is not used by Van Persie - The Telegraph, 2/26/05. Retrieved on 11/9/08.
  17. ^ Van Persie wants to make amends - ESPN Soccernet, 3/11/05. Retrieved on 11/9/08.
  18. ^ 4thegame Profile, retrieved on November 30.
  19. ^ Van Persie signs new Arsenal deal, BBC Sport, January 6 2006. Retrieved on November 30 2007.
  20. ^ Arsenal's Van Persie to miss cup tie with broken toe - ESPN Soccernet, 1/10/06. Retrieved on 11/9/08.
  21. ^ Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal - BBC Sport, 5/17/06. Retrieved on 11/9/08.
  22. ^ Wenger: 'Winner was the goal of a lifetime', Arsenal.com, September 30 2007. Retrieved on December 10 2007 (dead link)
  23. ^ Goal of the month, BBC SPORT, January 8 2007. Retrieved December 8 2007.
  24. ^ "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)
  25. ^ Van Persie could be sidelined for a month, Arsenal.com, October 20, 2007. Retrieved on November 30, 2007.
  26. ^ Arsenal 2–1 Steaua Bucharest, BBC SPORT, December 12, 2007. Retrieved on December 12, 2007.
  27. ^ Van Persie double seals winning display - The Guardian, 8/31/08. Retrieved on 11/9/08.
  28. ^ Stoke keeper admits: I wound van Persie up to get him red card Northampton Chronicle and Echo, 11/3/08. Retrieved on 11/9/08.
  29. ^ 17 Robin van Persie Holland Stats, ITV Sport, World Cup 2006. Retrieved on December 11 2007.
  30. ^ Soccerbase stats for Romania vs. Holland game
  31. ^ Soccerbase stats for Finland vs. Holland game
  32. ^ Soccerbase stats for Van Persie's World Cup (see bottom of list)
  33. ^ Soccerbase stats for Holland's 2006 World Cup game against Ivory Coast
  34. ^ Soccerbase stats for Albania vs. Holland
  35. ^ Soccerbase stats for Luxembourg vs. Holland
  36. ^ "Gespeelde wedstrijden". KNVB. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
  37. ^ Arsenal star held over rape claim, BBC News, June 14 2007. Retrieved on November 17 2007.
  38. ^ Rape quiz Arsenal star still held, BBC News, June 16 2007. Retrieved on November 17 2007.
  39. ^ Rape claim Arsenal star released, BBC News, June 27 2007. Retrieved on November 18 2007.
  40. ^ Van Persie no longer rape suspect | FOOTBALL | SPORT | tvnz.co.nz
  41. ^ "More than 200 officers in Rotterdam attempted to peek at the digital file compiled on Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.", Telegraaf, October 12 2005 Template:Nl
  42. ^ Robin van Persie statistics from voetbalstats.nl. Retrieved on 2007-11-15

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