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It would be difficult to pick out a single star in the Dutch national team. Impressive plays delight football enthusiasts from both Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Dirk Kuyt. However, the most attention from fans and the sharpest eyes of opponents fall on Robin van Persie, the leader of London's "Arsenal" attack.
The 28-year-old forward was born in the multicultural district of Rotterdam. The future football talent grew up in an artistic family. Robin's father, Bob, is a sculptor, and his mother, Jose Ras, paints and teaches disabled children. After the parents' divorce, the player moved in with his dad. The changes also affected his studies. The boy was one of the most disobedient kids in the class. Almost every day he returned from school early – he was simply kicked out.
Robin van Persie put on the first team jersey at the age of fourteen, but the hot-headed teenager disagreed with the coach and left the team. At fifteen, he was noticed by one of the Dutch giants – the "Feyenoord" club. By the age of 17, he was already playing in the main lineup and was named the newcomer of the year. Unfortunately, due to his aggressive character and disputes with coach Bert van Marwijk, he had to return to the reserve team. Disagreements with the coach continued, and during a match between "Feyenoord" and Amsterdam's "Ajax," he was attacked by hooligans running onto the field. In 2004, negotiations began between the Dutch club and "Arsenal." A £2.75 million transfer and R. van Persie became a member of the English club.
"Gunners" coach Arsene Wenger wanted to change Robin's profile and move him from the left-wing to the center forward position. This strategy paid off. The newly positioned forward scored his first goal in a league cup match against "Man City." However, he spent almost the entire 2004/2005 season on the bench. Later, the player suffered an injury, but that did not stop him from scoring ten goals in 41 appearances.
Until the beginning of the current season, the forward playing for "Arsenal" has won numerous personal trophies: best "Premier" league and "Arsenal" footballer, most prolific player of the season, and player of the year awards from the football association. However, the club's results are not as satisfying. Since 2004, the team from the English capital has only won the 2005 FA Cup. In total, he managed to score 96 times for the "Gunners."
Robin van Persie started his career in the Dutch national team in 2005. In the same year, he scored his first goal. The Dutch punished the goalkeeper of the Finnish national team. In official matches, the forward made his debut in the 2006 World Cup by scoring a goal in a match against the Ivory Coast. In the qualifying tournament for the 2008 European Championships, R. van Persie scored four goals, and in the final tournament, he defeated the goalkeepers of France and Romania once each. Unfortunately, the Dutch had to say goodbye to the championship after the first knockout game.
The 2010 World Cup was particularly successful for the Dutch national team. The "Oranje" team reached the final, where they lost to the Spaniards by just one goal. However, the championship was not the best for the forward. He scored only one goal against the national team of Cameroon. Before EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, R. van Persie can boast of four goals in the qualifying tournament. The player also entered the top ten most prolific players of the Dutch national team. In 65 matches, he scored 28 times.
Robin, who is married and raises two children – son Shaqueel and daughter Dina, has been married to his longtime partner Bouchra since 2005. In 2005, he was involved in a sex scandal. Sandra Krijgsman claimed that the player raped her in a hotel. Due to these allegations, the footballer had to spend two weeks behind bars. Later, he was released as the girl admitted to lying, although R. van Persie admitted to having had sexual relations with her. However, his wife forgave him for these mistakes.
