Robin van Persie (born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch footballer who plays for Arsenal and the Netherlands national team as a striker. In the national team he is occasionally deployed as a left/right winger as well.

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. He made his breakthrough at hometown club Feyenoord, where he spent three seasons and won the 2002 UEFA Cup. Disagreements with current Dutch headcoach Bert van Marwijk culminated in a change of club and Van Persie moved to Premier League side Arsenal for £2.75 million in 2004. He won the FA Community Shield and the FA Cup in his first season with the London club and won the 2006 Rotterdam Sportsman of the year award.

Van Persie has 40 caps and 14 goals with the Netherlands and made his senior international debut in 2005. He has participated in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. He also assisted with the Netherlands’ qualification for the 2010 World Cup.

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

Euro 2008

Van Persie scored a team-best four Euro 2008 qualifying goals, 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. As Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart were preferred in the midfield, Van Persie was left to battle with Arjen Robben for the remaining spot on the wing. On 13 June, 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 with an excellent volley into the back of the net. He finished with two goals as the Netherlands finished atop their group but again suffered a first knock-out round, second stage elimination.