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With Robin van Persie finally having departed Manchester and in all likelihood from England after a spell of 11 years in the Premier League, for good, a question is poignantly raised and pondered over by Premier League fans.
Assertively speaking, Van Persie was undoubtedly a legend of the Premier League and one of the most prolific strikers to have played in the league. But the question which needs to be considered and answered is whether he qualified as a legend for Manchester United and Arsenal?
Recently shipped off on a private jet to Istanbul to join Fenerbahce to pen down a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, Van Persie was seen commenting that he had “no hard feelings” over his departure.
Which is in stark contrast to the fact that he later acknowledged Ed Woodward by calling him “classy” and completely ignored his compatriot Louis Van Gaal. Notably, Van Persie will be joining his former United compatriot Nani, who also joined Fenerbahce for £4.25m recently.
The 31-year-old ended his eventful stay at Manchester United by signing on for Fenerbahce, a stay during which he won his first Premier League title.
From a statistical point of view, Van Persie has one Premier League title to his name which he won while playing for United in the 2012-13 season. Also, he has been the winner of two Premier League golden boot awards, both of them won consecutively, for the season of 2011-12 while playing for Arsenal and for the season of 2012-13 while playing for Manchester United.
Furthermore, his trophy cabinet boasts of one FA Cup won in the year 2005 while playing with Arsenal, one PFA Player of the year award for his outstanding performance for Arsenal in the season of 2011-12 and a World Cup runners-up medal with Holland in the year 2010.
His goals tally also is very impressive which further concretizes his credibility as being one of the most reliable strikers to have ever played for country and club. Having scored 49 goals for Holland, 132 goals for Arsenal, 58 goals for Manchester United in 105 appearances for United, scoring 26 as they won the Premier League title in 2012-13, his track record aptly illustrates a player with great technique and outstanding vision.
The “little boy” inside Van Persie
When the transfer of the Dutchman from Arsenal to United was finally complete, it was time for displaying the new recruit to the press. A beaming and ecstatic Van Persie could be seen standing beside Sir Alex answering all the queries of the press.
During the press conference, he famously declared that he always listened to the little boy inside and that the little boy was screaming for Manchester United.
Wearing the number 20 jersey, the Dutchman delivered wonders and fired Manchester United to the top of the table in no time, denying the Premier League title to Manchester City in the process.
Moreover, he justified choosing number 20 on his jersey as he brought a twentieth league title to the Theatre of Dreams. In the process, he ensured that Sir Alex’s final season at the club that he managed for an astronomical twenty-six years ended on the sweetest possible note.
The Rise of RvP
Van Persie arrived at Arsenal from Feyenoord in the 2004-05 season, with much fanfare having had several rifts with the managerial staff of Feyenoord. Arsene Wenger recruited the Feyenoord striker as a potential long-term replacement for Dennis Bergkamp.
The Dutchman won the community shield and the FA Cup in his first season with Arsenal. However, these were the only two trophies that adorned his cabinet till he left for United.
Subsequent to his arrival at Arsenal, RvP was crowned the Player of the Month in November in his second season. He then went on to shoulder the responsibility of leading the team after the departure of the likes of Henry, Bergkamp and Fabregas one after the other.
Astonishingly, even without a consistent partner up front, he went on to score 132 goals for the Gunners and in the process etching his name as the eighth highest goal scorer of the club.
His stay of eight seasons has been occasionally marred by a plague of injuries which resulted in him being sidelined for indefinite periods, but his potential as a striker was never in doubt as seen in the 2011-12 season.
It was the only season where he went injury free, and he ripped apart defences and scored 30 goals and was crowned as the Premier League’s top scorer for Arsenal.
Subsequently when he switched allegiance to United, Van Persie carried on his brilliant performances and outstanding vision to Old Trafford and helped them win the 2012-13 league title. His brilliant performances saw United fans vote him for the Sir Matt Busby Player of the season, and he was even nominated for the Best European player award.
Van Persie: Legend or Footnote in the history of the Premier League?
When the Flying Dutchman, as he is fondly called, left the emirates to win trophies, there was much irony left for him, as the club, which he left to win trophies, has won more silverware than the club he joined for the same reason in the same time period. He was perhaps the most acrimonious transfer since Sol Campbell left Tottenham for Arsenal.
When Van Persie completed his 24 million pound move from Arsenal to United, the “little boy” inside him was going bonkers with happiness. It was a very unusual deal to happen in the transfer window given the age at which he was recruited into the ranks of United. Being transferred into the club at the age of 29, it proved to be yet another masterstroke by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Having said so, Van Persie was delivering performances which were way below his standards as he notched up just 18 goals in the nightmare 2013/14 season under David Moyes.
Nevertheless, having played at United donning the red jersey for a period of only three years, there is a huge possibility that his impact on the club will go down as a mere footnote in the history of the Red Devils.
While it is a fact that being the sole catalyst for an unprecedented 20th league title in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge does not catapult RvP into the league of legends and doesn’t automatically assure him of a podium in Old Trafford folklore like many others.
Van Persie finds his name etched into the long and starry list of Premier League winners featuring the likes of Jiri Jarosik and Luke Chadwick. Notably, he features below the likes of John Obi Mikel, David May and Joleon Lescott in the same list.
Quite an unfair list one would presume, given the talent of Van Persie as compared to the above-mentioned players.
Moreover, a perusal glance over the long list of Premier League goalscorers illustrates that Van Persie is evidently within the top 10 goal scorers of all time in the Premier League yet he is far away from Alan Shearer’s record who is the leading goal scorer of the League.
And it is more likely that if ever his record is broken, it will be by Rooney and not by Van Persie who has already left England. In addition to the above Jermain Defoe could also soon replace Van Persie in the all-time scoring charts thereby in the process decreasing and diminishing his claim to greatness.
The answer to the fundamental question still remains unanswered at this juncture. Will Van Persie be counted in the same pantheon of legendary strikers like Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Drogba, Shearer? or will he be counted along the likes of Nicolas Anelka, Mark Viduka, Tevez those who had promising talent to flourish in the Premier League but ultimately failed to deliver to their full potential?
His CV which boasts of very few silverware probably in all likelihood places him in the latter category. “Ironical” is quite essentially the adjective which aptly describes the 11-year long stint of Van Persie in England.
The departure of RvP from the Gunners saw the emergence of an entirely new strategy at Arsenal whereby new big name players were recruited which ultimately led to Arsenal winning two FA Cups trophies consecutively while RvP’s new team plunged into transition and then turmoil a year after his arrival. It was simply put, a case of being at a club at the wrong time.
However his individual accolades highlight his quality. He still holds the record of being the only player to win the Golden Boot in successive seasons with different clubs. Notwithstanding the above, a total goals galore of 144 Premier League goals, a score only topped by the legendary Gunner Thierry Henry, among foreign strikers to have played in the Premier League is suggestive of the fact that a player like Van Persie had the skill to be counted among the best ever strikers in the Premier League.
Lastly, a July exit from Old Trafford denied him the grand farewell that some of the luminaries were treated to, during their exits from their club. Regarded as the most infamous transfer of an Arsenal Player to their rivals, there will be no statue of him welcoming you to the Emirates, courtesy, the alienation with which Van Persie treated Arsenal fans who adored him.
Hence, the answer to the question raised is simple. A player like RvP finds himself on the middle ground i.e. somewhere near the Premier League folklore as being one of the best foreign strikers to have played in EPL and somewhere near oblivion.
