Back to the Manchester United Newsfeed

How van Persie proved he was ready for English football

In 2004, a 20-year-old van Persie, then of Feyenoord, was assaulted by Ajax fans after a reserve match between the rival clubs finished 3-1 to the Amsterdam outfit, with Robin scoring a consolation goal.

Robin has previously spoken of the incident as ‘the worst thing he has ever experienced’ but told us how his reaction to the attack actually convinced Arsenal to go back in for him – seeing off competition from PSV Eindhoven and Sevilla – after a failed attempt at a move earlier in the year.

“After the game, the fans came on the pitch and threw a couple of punches,” van Persie recalls.