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Robin van Persie Profile |
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Birth Date: August 6, 1983
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Birth Place: Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Birth Name: Robin van Persie
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Height: 6'1"
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Biography |
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer currently playing at
English FA Premier League team Arsenal as a striker. He can
play as a striker (as he normally does for Arsenal) or on
either wing, as he primarily does for the Netherlands.
Van Persie was brought up in the Kralingen area of east
Rotterdam.
Van Persie began his career as a youth player for Dutch side
Excelsior Rotterdam and later Feyenoord Rotterdam, earning
caps in the process for Netherlands U19 and U21 teams. He
was unexpectedly called up to Feyenoord's injury plagued
first-team squad soon after he signed a three-and-a-half
year deal with the club in January 2002. His performances
with Feyenoord, including his playing an integral part in
the 3-2 UEFA Cup final victory over Borussia Dortmund at the
De Kuip on May 8, 2002, earned him the prestigious Best
Young Talent award offered by the Dutch PFA for the 2001-02
season.
As a result of a back injury suffered during the summer of
2002, there was uncertainty as to whether Van Persie could
start the new season. Van Persie, however, showed no such
worries come the beginning of the season, scoring 8 goals in
28 league games as well as playing twice in the UEFA
Champions League. Despite his talent Robin Van Persie had a
difficult relationship with the Feyenoord manager Bert van
Marwijk, a strict discipliniarian, who sent him home on the
eve of the European Super Cup against Real Madrid in Monaco.
With Van Persie's Feyenoord contract due to expire in 2005,
a disagreement with Bert van Marwijk combined with the fact
that the club had not offered him a new contract meant that
he spent most of the following season as a fading light at
the club.
English club Arsenal, undeterred by a rebuff during the
January 2004 transfer window, made a move for the striker at
the end of the 2003-04 season. Van Persie also emerged as a
target for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, Bundesliga outfit
Werder Bremen, and Spanish side Sevilla. However Arsenal
fended off other club interest and signed van Persie,
despite already having signed Spanish striker José Antonio
Reyes from Sevilla. Van Persie completed his move for a fee
believed to be in the range of £3 million, to the
Premiership on May 17, 2004. Praised by Arsenal manager
Arsène Wenger for the strength of his talent, he made his
debut for the team in the 3-1 FA Community Shield victory
over rivals Manchester United on August 8, 2004. Early on,
he played as a left winger, but he predominantly plays as a
striker for Arsenal. He is touted as Arsenal's long-term
replacement for his idol Dennis Bergkamp.
He spent most of his time on the bench during earlier parts
of the season and looked to have earned himself a permanent
place there with his sending off against Southampton which
cost Arsenal two points, and caused Wenger to display
uncharacteristic anger in public with a player. To his
credit, Van Persie redoubled his efforts in training during
his suspension and was reintroduced in to the team when
injuries to Thierry Henry forced Wenger's hand. His return
to the first team has been marked with numerous goals, the
pinnacle of his achievements coming in the FA Cup semi-final
against Blackburn Rovers where he scored two goals 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. As a result of his good play
he won the The Barclay's Premiership Player of the Month.
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. He signed a contract extension
keeping him at the North London club until 2011.
Although a few of his Arsenal team mates are to change their
squad numbers for the start of the 2006-07 season, Van
Persie will remain wearing the number 11 shirt.
Robin Van Persie received his first full international cap
against Romania on 4th June 2005. Despite not being an
automatic first choice to start for Arsenal, Van Persie was
selected as one of Holland's forwards for the 2006 FIFA
World Cup by national coach Marco Van Basten. His first
World Cup goal came in the group match against Côte
d'Ivoire, a powerfully-struck free kick in the 23rd minute.
He has now played twelve times for the Netherlands, scoring
two goals.
On August 16, 2006, he scored for the Netherlands in a 4-0
away win against the Republic of Ireland.
Van Persie's mother is a teacher and his father an artist.
His father brought him up as a single parent. He grew up in
a rough neighbourhood of Rotterdam alongside its large
immigrant population. He had a series of behavioural
problems at school and was often excluded from classes. He
is married to Bouchra, a Dutch-Moroccan. They live in
Hampstead, North London. While some sources claim he is a
convert to Islam, Van Persie has never disclosed his faith
in interviews.
During the 2005 close season Van Persie was accused of rape
by a Dutch beauty queen. Dutch police eventually released
Van Persie without charge after they completed their
investigations
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Other Information |
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He played for Netherlands in the 2006 World Cups of soccer. |
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