Robin van Persie scored 144 Premier League goals during his time with Arsenal and Manchester United. In his prime, the former Holland international was one of the deadliest strikers English football has ever seen and used his supreme technical ability to score some of the most outrageous gaols you will ever see.
Van Persie returned to his homeland and boyhood club Feyenoord at the start of last season, where he inevitably continued to find the onion bag on a regular basis. However, time waits for no man and the 35-year-old has decided to retire, playing his final game last May.
Here are some of the best quotes about the deadly frontman.
“He was one of the best I ever managed, a man with an exceptional technique.” – Arsene Wenger.
“I remember Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger saying to me ‘he’s better than you think’ when we concluded the deal. He was right. In terms of impact he has had as big an impact as anyone I can imagine.” – Sir Alex Ferguson.
“Van Persie is a total footballer, a very complete forward and capable of scoring lots of goals.” – Lionel Messi.
“We all knew what he was capable of but you don’t realise sometimes when you play against someone, how good a player they are. [You don’t realise] until you’re training with them every day and playing with them every week and that is definitely the case with Robin. He’s just a brilliant player.” – Ryan Giggs.
“Everything Van Persie does is quality and class. Even if he just holds the ball up he makes it look simple.” – Gary Neville.
“Van Persie had the best movement. When he was at Arsenal and he won the Golden Boot, he had the most movement I’d ever seen. Even in his first year at Manchester United, that’s why they won the league, because he scored all the goals.” – Romelu Lukaku.
“Personally, when we played against Arsenal in London, I saw the best forward ever: Robin van Persie. I didn’t know a player could play three positions during 90 minutes. It was a great experience – and we want to use that now.” – Jurgen Klopp.
“To be honest, I wouldn’t want to play against Robin because he’s such a good player” – Cesc Fabregas.
“We all know how good he is. Robin keeps performing and scoring goals, making the difference. For me, it is just such a natural talent. Sometimes he looks as if he does not try, but he beats players and scores an unbelievable goal. Robin is on fire, he is making the difference.” – Michael Carrick.
“He was actually a better player than I thought he was when he arrived at Manchester United – I had played against him many times vs Arsenal, so I knew he was good but not this good. As a player he is so silky to watch, great touch, can hold the ball up, bring others into play, timings of his runs, skills, a dream of a left foot…. Oh, and he can finish!” – Rio Ferdinand.
Read: Top five ‘where were you’ moments in Premier League history
See also – Five of the best players to play for Manchester United and Arsenal
