An open letter to Robin van Persie following his move to Fenerbahce

Dear Robin,

You came to Old Trafford at a point in your career when the yearning within you to win a Premier League title had scaled inescapable heights. And why wouldn't it? Every player who moves to the Premier League has one obvious dream in common - of ultimately winning the beautiful trophy.

Alas, the eight years you spent at Arsenal couldn't help you achieve that target. Instead, it only bore a return of 2 trophies - an FA Cup and an FA Community Shield - something far less than what a striker of your quality actually deserved.

When you finally decided to make a move to United in order to fulfil your ambition of winning the Premier League title, you were subjected to some ridiculously vile and disgusting treatment from the Arsenal fans (which continues to the present day). A club whom you gave eight precious years of your footballing career gave you the worst possible send-off one could've ever imagined.

The blueprint of success which Sir Alex Ferguson lay forth before you was virtually impossible to turn down and, after a lot of speculation, you decided to swap London for the north-west of England. A £24 million move to United followed and at the time, then Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini declared it to be a vital piece of the Premier League title race's jigsaw. He was absolutely spot on in his assessment of this particular transfer.

What followed your blockbuster transfer was a season which the Old Trafford faithful could’ve only dreamt of – a prolific striker banging in the goals which ultimately helped his side win the Premier League crown. An imperious debut season which was littered with awe-inspiring moments like the crucial hat-trick against Southampton and the last ditch free-kick goal which sealed United's victory in the Manchester derby saw you amassing 30 goals in 48 appearances for the club.

It all finally culminated in a fairytale ending. In what can easily be called the stuff of dreams, you won United the Premier League title almost single-handedly, courtesy of your goals and sheer determination to succeed.

Moreover, the goal which eventually sealed the title for United was one of the best goals Old Trafford has ever been witness to - an absolutely mind-boggling volley off Wayne Rooney's wonderful long range pass. It enabled you to achieve something you had always wished for – laying your hands on England’s most prized asset.

The unmitigated ecstasy on your face whilst lifting United's twentieth league title at Old Trafford in front of 76,000 fans was a testament to the kind of footballer you are - a born winner who believes in working hard and achieving his dreams.

Sadly, the driving force behind your transfer to the club – Sir Alex decided to call it quits and retired right at the end of your debut season with United. This decision of his, as mentioned by Rio Ferdinand, left you in a state of shock. You weren't able to cope with his departure and that was clearly visible in the campaign which followed the legendary manager's departure, with David Moyes taking charge of affairs. What you ideally needed was trust and love being bestowed upon you by the new gaffer.

However, with Moyes facing the herculean task of convincing Rooney to stay put at Old Trafford, you somehow got lost in the background and all of a sudden it seemed as though you had lost all of the attributes which made you one of the best strikers on the planet just a season ago. Everything seemed to have disappeared – the tenacity, sharpness, pace, agility and an eye for a goal. Of course, a large part of that was also because of the injuries you sustained through the course of the season.

Apart from that phenomenal hat-trick against Olympiakos in the Champions League, there was hardly a moment which stood out as far as you were concerned in the Moyes era – something in stark contrast to your debut season which was glutted with silver linings.

The torment and neglect you suffered during Moyes' reign was cut short after the Scottish manager was sacked barely ten months after taking charge of the club. His successor to your advantage was a fellow countryman in Louis Van Gaal. The joy which you experienced at the prospect of being coached by your national team boss was pretty evident in the video wherein you said, "We'll be back next season. Trust me, we'll be back."

This confidence laden statement coupled with the diving header you scored against Spain in the World Cup came across to United fans around the world like a sign - an indication that the van Persie of the 2012-13 campaign will definitely return to his old goalscoring ways next season under the tutelage of a manager he enjoyed working with.

The new season came, United were successful in securing Champions League football but your contribution in the teams success was extremely limited. Part of that again can be blamed on the injuries you sustained but in all honesty, I have to admit that you weren't overly impressive when fully fit too. Of course you must have tried really hard to rediscover your old goalscoring form in training and behind the scenes. But, for some reason or the other, it didn't come off how you wanted it to on the footballing pitch.

I'm extremely gutted that you've now left the club but I must also admit that this move is completely spurred by plain logic. With the Euros coming up next year, it would have been stupid of you to risk a place in the Netherlands squad by staying at United and possibly playing second fiddle to Wayne Rooney.

Moreover, at 31 years of age, it is only obvious that you should be spending most of your time playing on the pitch rather than wasting it on the bench. I would like to thank you for all the contributions you have made to Manchester United and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours.

You came to the club with a vision to win the Premier League title, and that was evident from your selection of the squad number itself. It's safe to say that you're easily one of the best strikers to have ever played in a United shirt. Thanks for the wonderful memories Robin. I wish you the best of luck in your new adventure with Fenerbahce. Until next time.

Your's sincerely,

Just another Red Devil.