My dad has gone down in history at Man Utd and Arsenal – now I’m following in his footsteps and he’s even coaching me

IF HE can have a highlights reel even a fraction as good as his father’s, Shaqueel van Persie will have done very well indeed.

And he already has his first entry thanks to a spectacular overhead kick.

But the youngster has a long way to go to replicate some of the genius goals of his old man.

Robin van Persie, 40, scored more than his fair share of sensational strikes during his illustrious career – from the jumping volley at Charlton to the title-winning one against Aston Villa and then the famous ‘Flying Dutchman’ header at the World Cup. 

Now he is hoping to pass on some of that expertise as he coaches his son.

Van Persie Sr started out at Feyenoord and won the Uefa Cup in 2002, two years before joining Arsenal as compatriot Dennis Bergkamp’s long-term successor.

Arsene Wenger successfully converted him from a winger into a striker and across eight seasons in North London, the Netherlands hero racked up 132 goals in 278 appearances.

His only trophy with Arsenal was the 2005 FA Cup – with runner-up medals from the Champions League and League Cup – but he certainly made his mark, particularly in his final season at the Emirates.

As captain in 2011-12, Van Persie smashed in 37 goals – including 30 in the Premier League to win the Golden Boot. 

But at the end of the season, he sparked fury among Gunners supporters by leaving to join rivals Manchester United.

To make matters worse for his former fans, Van Persie’s 26 league goals fired Sir Alex Ferguson to his final Premier League crown in 2012-13, sealing it in style with a hat-trick against Aston Villa including that epic volley from Wayne Rooney’s long pass.

The Dutchman struggled with injuries after that first season at Old Trafford and eventually joined Fenerbahce in 2015 before returning to Feyenoord for a final swansong in 2018, leading his boyhood club to the Dutch Cup title.

On the international stage, Van Persie scored a record 50 goals for Holland in 102 caps and played for the Oranje at three World Cups, reaching the final in 2010 and claiming third four years later.

A year after retiring in 2019, Van Persie returned to Feyenoord in an unofficial coaching capacity before taking on the role as an assistant in May 2021 while also overseeing the club’s Under-16s.

But now he has been promoted to be the co-head coach of the Feyenoord U18s – as well as the U19s side in the Uefa Youth League where he went up against fellow Prem legend Fernando Torres.

And the new role means he is working directly with son Shaqueel.

Robin and wife Bouchra Elbali welcomed their son in London in November 2006 – just weeks after Robin’s wondergoal at The Valley and three years before daughter Dina was born.

And while Dina is carving out a career in sport as an equestrian and dressage prodigy, her older brother is following in their dad’s footsteps. 

Van Persie Jr, 17, spent two years with Manchester City, despite the family’s connection to rivals United, and then joined Feyenoord in 2017.

The teenager’s incredible acrobatic effort against rivals Ajax U15s went viral and his upward trajectory has continued ever since.

Shaqueel, another left-footed forward, is now a regular at international youth level for the Netherlands and is showing plenty of promise under his father’s watchful eye for Feyenoord after signing his first professional contract in 2022.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk