Manchester United shocked the Premier League when Sir Alex Ferguson poached one of Arsene Wenger’s best players
Robin van Persie has previously revealed why he wanted to join Manchester United. The new Feyenoord boss raised eyebrows when he controversially swapped the Emirates Stadium for Old Trafford in August 2012.
The Red Devils signed Van Persie from Arsenal for £24m, with the Dutchman penning a four-year deal. Ironically, eight years after lifting his last trophy for the Gunners, winning the FA Cup in 2005, he won the Premier League in his debut season for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
To rub salt into the wounds of those heartbroken by his shock move, Van Persie was given a guard of honour upon his return to the Emirates. As the striker walked out of the tunnel to his former teammates applauding him, a chorus of boos bellowed around the ground.
Van Persie then helped United win the Community Shield a few months later, defeating Wigan Athletic 2-0 at Wembley Stadium. While the Dutchman became an unpopular figure among Arsenal fans, he insisted there were ‘no hard feelings’.
Upon joining the Red Devils, he said: “Everyone knows me by now. I’m a lover of football. In that respect I’m quite principled. It is always quite difficult to find a perfect match but I do feel that this is perfect for me.
“Manchester United breathe football and if you look at all the players, the stadium and the manager, my choice was made very soon in my mind if you were basing it on those two clubs. I always listen to the little boy inside of me in these situations – when you have to make the harder decisions in life.
“What does he want? That boy was screaming for Man United. This is like a family club. In that respect it isn’t a big difference [to Arsenal]. Let me make one thing clear – because I don’t want things twisted – is that from my side, and Arsenal as well, there are no hard feelings.
“There were certain elements which were vital to me that we had a different view. That is life. Nobody is angry at me and I’m not angry at them.”
Then, later speaking to Premier League Productions, Van Persie added: “Ferguson made the difference for me in my choice to choose Manchester United. Because of the way he manages, the stories I heard, because of the players that were there.
“I really wanted to win and when I look at that team of (Ryan) Giggs, (Michael) Carrick, (Paul) Scholes, (Nemanja) Vidic, (Rio) Ferdinand they were all winners, they won it all.”
With Arsenal, Van Persie was Champions League runner-up in 2006 and League Cup runner-up in 2011. He added: “I was like ‘I want to be part of that’. I was in that period of my life where I felt like a winner but I wasn’t so I had to win. I needed to go to a team that knew how to win.”
United will host Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon in what is expected to be fiery affair. The Red Devils will want to return to winning ways, while the Gunners look to narrow Liverpool’s advantage at the top of the table.
